Gender Equity & Women

Participation in Electoral
Process
What is meant by Gender?
• Gender refers to the social attributes and
opportunities associated with being male
and female and the relationships between
women and men and girls and boys, as well
as the relations between women and those
between men.
• Gender determines what is expected,
allowed and valued in a woman or a man in
a given context.
• In most societies there are differences and
inequalities between women and men in
responsibilities assigned, activities
undertaken, access to and control over
resources, as well as decision-making
opportunities.
 What is Equity?

The term Equity was derived from the Latin word

'Aequitas', which generally means equality,
fairness or even. In a broad sense, Equity means
natural justice, what is moral and ethical, which
has to be fair and just. Equity therefore assists
the law where it is defective and weak and when
enforcing the law would cause hardship and
injustice. Equity came into being as a reaction to
the rigid laws that made up common law became
too technical that it became inadequate and was
in danger of losing its function to uphold justice.
What is gender equity?

• Gender equity is a set of actions,

attitudes, and assumptions that
provide opportunities and create
expectations about individuals.
• Gender Equity offers a framework for
educational reform.
 Gender Empowerment
Measure
GEM is a composite index measuring gender
inequality in three basic dimensions of
empowerment – economic participation,
political participation and decision making
power
– Pakistan at number 99
– USA at number 18
– UK at number 15
– Saudi Arabia at number 106
– Sweden at number 1
 Seats in Parliament
(% held by Women )
Seats held by women in a lower or
single house and, where relevant, in
upper house or senate expressed as
percentage of all seats
– Pakistan: 21%
– USA: 17 %
– UK: 20%
– Saudi Arabia: 0%
– Sweden: 47%
Legislators, Senior Officials
& Managers (% female)
Women’s percentage share of position defined according
to the International Standard Classifications of
Occupations ISCO-88 to include legislators, senior
government officials, traditional chiefs and heads of
villages, senior officials of special interest organizations,
corporate managers, directors and chief executives,
production and operations department managers and
other department and general managers
– Pakistan: 3 %
– USA: 43 %
– UK: 34%
– Saudi Arabia: 10%
– Sweden: 32%
Year Women Received the
Right to Vote
Year in which the right for women to
vote on a universal and equal basis
was recognized:
– Pakistan: 1956
– USA: 1920, 1965
– UK: 1918, 1928
– Saudi Arabia: Not Allowed
– Sweden: 1919, 1921
Year Women received the
right to contest the
elections
Year in which the right for women to
stand for national election on a universal
and equal basis was recognized
– Pakistan: 1956
– USA: 1788
– UK: 1918, 1928
– Saudi Arabia: Not Allowed
– Sweden: 1919, 1921
Women in Ministerial Positions
(% of positions)
Number of women holding ministerial
positions including prime ministers and
ministers expressed as a percentage of all
ministerial positions. Prime ministers are
included if they hold ministerial portfolios.
Vice presidents and heads of ministerial-
level departments or agencies are also
included if they exercise ministerial
function in the governmental structure.
– Pakistan: 4%
– USA: 24%
– UK: 23%
– Saudi Arabia: 0%
– Sweden: 48%
Gender Equality—Pakistani
Perspective
• "All citizens are equal before law and are
entitled to equal protection of law. There shall
be no discrimination on the basis of sex
alone".
• "No citizen otherwise qualified for
appointment in the service of Pakistan shall
be discriminated against in respect of any
such appointment on the ground only of…
sex…”
• "Steps shall be taken to ensure full
participation of women in all spheres of
national life".
• Apparently, women have equal
political rights in Pakistan.
• Substantial disparities between the
situation of men and women in terms
of their actual participation in political
and public life.
• The view of Annie Bessant about
Islam.
• Islam,1400 years ago & now.
 Social & Cultural Barriers
• Pakistan is a patriarchal society, with
strictly defined gender roles.
• These barriers affect their access to
equal facilities & opportunities.
• Women have subordinate & subservient
position in society.
• Formal political arena is still the domain
of men.
 Religion as a Factor
• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, a great Muslim
social reformer was against women’s
education outside the religious
domains…
• Iqbal’s view about European
suffragettes.
• Examples of Fatima Jinnah & Benazir
Bhutto.
 Illiteracy & Economic
Dependence

• Illiteracy & restricted mobility shuts off women’s

avenues of gaining knowledge & information.
• Economic dependence, socio-cultural gender
attitudes, and unequal legal status of women.
• Women have also contributed
towards reinforcing this ideology
of “un-equal status”
• Our women have limited public
interaction & exposure.
• The image of politics being “dirty”
and fear of character
assassination keeps women away
from it.
 “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless
your women are side by side with you. We are
victims of evil customs. It is a crime against
humanity that our women are shut up within four
walls of the houses as prisoners. I do no mean that
we should imitate the evils of western life. But let
us try to raise the status of our women according
to our own Islamic ideas and standards, there is no
sanction anywhere for the deplorable conditions in
which our women have to live.”
Quaid-e-Azam
 Women as
Voters/Constituents
• Lack of knowledge.
• Many women do not get registered.
• Women's mobility is a serious barrier.
• National Identity Cards ( NIC’s)
• Wrong Marking
• Women often vote according to the consent
of the male members of family.
 Women as Members of
Political Parties
• Lower literacy rates.
• Women from opposition parties are
often subjected to harassment.
• Lack of autonomy & restricted role of
women’s wings.
• Women’s wings as tools to support
agenda's of political parties.
 Women as Election
Candidates
• Escalating costs of contesting elections.
• Male dominated politics.
• Some degree of gender bias, among
voters exists.
• Party affiliations.
• No training of polling agents.
• Lack of support from local male
leadership of the party.
 Women as Public
Representatives
• There have never been sufficient
women.
• Women on reserved seats are
dependent on the men.
• Greater pressure than their male
counterparts.
• Changed political scenario.
 Historical View
• Women representation in first
constituent assembly.
• Ayub Era.
• Bhutto Era.
• Benazir and Nawaz regimes.
 Women in Government

• Resistance of people to accept women’s

entry in politics.
• Sharia Act passed by government in
1990.
• Disparity at the executive level & lack of
job opportunities.
• Musharraf Regime & Women
Participation.
 Women in Other Policy
Formulation/Decision-
Making Bodies
• Lack of women participation in
the staff of the concerned
ministries & departments,
particularly at the senior levels.
• Women’s higher representations
in the executives of bar
associations is significant.
 Women in Trade Unions
• Discouraging attitudes of employers in
industrial & service sectors.
• Cultural norms of purdah, restriction on
mobility & the total male domination in
the trade unions are major detriments to
women’s participation in trade union
activity.
• Lack of confidence in working with men.
• Sexual harassment.
 Women in NGO’s

• Women are discouraged to

participate in the activities of the
NGOs.
• Lack of a sufficiently developed
political culture in the country has
also negatively impacted
women’s participation in political
& public life.
The Present Scenario
Thank You