POLITICAL CHALLENGES OF

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
IN PAKISTAN

RESEARCH PROJECT
BY
MAHGUL
INTRODUCTION

 Politics is the art of governance through strategic decisions

for betterment of any nation. Islamic Republic of Pakistan is
second largest Muslim country with federal parliamentary
system has distinguished political framework properly
approved by the constitution.

 Despite women in Pakistan political system allowed to

contribute and motivated for the prosperity of this country
through prominent participation; however, available quota
and factors associated with professional growth required to
be review for equal opportunity in whole process.
 BACKGROUND
 It has been also observed that female’s participation in the political activities
throughout the world very low and UNDP reported only 15% worldwide
representation and most of the countries have less than 33% seats in the upper
hierarchy of the parliament.
 Although there are many women in political parties at the operational level in
Pakistan. Their growth to senior hierarchy is limited by many factors. The
numbers of women in the senior leadership hierarchy of political parties are
very limited.
 This study is focused to explore into the causes for slow leadership growth of
women and the barriers faced by them in rising to the higher levels of Political
organizational hierarchy.
 Since 1947, women’s participation in politics is substantially important;
however, there is low number of seats available for women’s as compare to
their population is higher than males.
 Moreover, political parties rarely given party tickets for contesting elections on
merit basis or explicitly acquaintances are selected instead of leadership with
professional skills. Federal legislative platform and provincial representation
legitimately providing limited opportunities for women’s governance in the
country.
 Generally, male dominant culture of our society is considered basic reasons
behind the discrimination of women empowerment.
 BACKGROUND
 Quota based policies till 1988 for women representation in national assembly and
each provincial assembly was only ten and five seats earmarked respectively. In
this perspective situation becomes shoddier during 1988 – 2000 as already
allocated lower quota further reduced to 3-4 seats in the national and provincial
assemblies.
 While from the year 2001 onwards, women electoral politics quota modified and
women participation by local government ordinance in mainstream of legal
framework granted 33% quota for contesting elections which is resultantly further
enhanced 17% of the seats in national and provincial levels. This period
provided women’s opportunities with better platform to practice their political skills
to serve country.
 Purpose behind this empirical study is to explore obstacles facing by women in
political participation particularly in Pakistan and suggest some options to
accelerate their political role independently instead of influential decisions,
because being dominant population women’s rights must be equivalently
distributed in all field and its importance become case sensitive as male
dominant societies less emphasized on women’s problems.
 In these perspectives challenges’ facing by women’s required to be appraised on
priority by male and female politicians; therefore feedback of politicians of
Pakistan will be acquired to analyze and conclude the actual situation of political
environment regarding women’s empowerment issues linked to the upper
hierarchy.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
 This research intends to mainstream the women politicians in the realm of
political leadership, good governance, and policy reforms.
 This research and study will persuade to engage relevant stakeholders to
facilitate the integration of women in decision-making processes for effective
democratic governance in Pakistan.
 The findings of this study will further be used to design training and capacity
building activities of women politicians.
 Recent trends in political development process by understanding women
empowerment ultimately leads to practically and strategically reforms for
future plan along with competitive edge.
 Furthermore, students of social sciences will also benefited through this
literature for general guidance and further expansion of this paradigm.
 This study may also helpful to initiate women separate political party for
independence representation and overcome to inherent injustice system of
current male dominant parties.
 Moreover, common man / general public can also motivate their mothers,
daughters, sisters and wives to participate in political process in such a way to
acquire better position and good political management capabilities.
 This study is generalized and helpful across the globe despite it is particularly
focused on Pakistan political system.
Objectives

 General Objectives: The objective of this study is to find out the factors which
impede women’s effective political empowerment in Pakistan and to evaluate the
challenges faced by them to reach to the top hierarchy. Further, the aim of this
research is to discern the attitude of relevant stakeholders towards women’s
leadership and to ascertain the stereotypes that couch such attitudes.
 Specific Objectives: The specific purpose of this research is to gather
information in six areas to assess women politicians’ needs regarding their
 Enhanced ability to run for elections
 Equal opportunity to run for elections
 Support from party leaders for women to take positions within their parties
 Support from male counterparts for women at all levels of electoral and government
structures, including constituencies and legislative bodies
 Establishing operational relations with government officials in line departments for
alleviating the public grievances
 Increased media engagement to portray women politicians as effective leaders and
decision-makers in Pakistan.
 FURTHER JUSTIFICATION
 Keeping in mind the complex dynamics of Pakistani society, the present
research considers a wide range of factors that influence women’s equal and
effective political empowerment and the challenges faced by women to reach to
the top hierarchy.
 Women’s chances to excel in their political career depend on their ability to
participate in their party organizations, to be nominated for party ticket, and to
acquire a leading position in the party.
 Likewise, women’s capability to perform an effective political role is established
through the recognition of their contributions by party leadership and male
counterparts, and the help they extend to women by sharing political influence.
 women’s operational interaction with government officials is linked with their
capacity to participate in legislation and policy formulation.
 The research work consists of two primary steps:
 An extensive desk review on women’s political participation in Pakistan.
 Primary data collection to identify issues and bottlenecks which impede women’s
participation in politics and democratic governance.
 SCOPE

The present research strives to identify the strengths and challenges related
to the political leadership of women MPAs and district level women
politicians in all four provinces as well as Federally Administered Tribal
Areas (FATA) Pakistan.
SCOPE

 The present research strives to identify the strengths and challenges

related to the political leadership of women MPAs and district level
women politicians in all four provinces as well as Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Pakistan.
 Literature Review

Table 2.2 Provincially Participation on National Assembly(PILDAT, 2004)

Table 2.3 Seats reserved for women in provincial assemblies(PILDAT, 2004)

 Literature Review
Table 2.4. Women’s participation in South Asia Legislation Source (IPU, 2016)

National Assembly / Lower House Senate / Upper House

Rank Country
Election Seats Women % Election Seats Women %

48 Nepal 2013 595 176 29.6% - - - -

52 Afghanistan 2010 249 69 27.7% 2015 68 18 26.5%

85 Pakistan 2013 340 70 20.6% 2015 104 19 18.3%

89 Bangladesh 2014 350 70 20% - - - -

143 India 2014 543 65 12% 2016 244 27 11%

165 Bhutan 2013 47 4 8.5% 2013 25 2 8%

176 Maldives 2014 85 5 5.9% - - - -

177 Sri Lanka 2015 225 13 5.8% - - - -

Figure 2.2 Seats held by women in parliament – global perspective (world Bank,
2016)
 Literature Review

Figure 2.3 Seats held by women in parliament – Regional perspective (world

Bank, 2016)
 Literature Review

Litracy

Personnel Politics

Economic /
Psychological
Poverty

Social /
Religious
Cultural

Figure 2.5 Literacy Rate of Pakistan (1951 to 2009) Source: (Riaz Haq, 2014) Figure 2.4 General elements for Women empowerment
 Research Methodology
 This research study related to women empowerment challenges in
political participation is descriptive research as design is particularly
based on questions regarding research problem to obtain the current
opinion of politicians of Pakistan with respect to challenges or hurdles
faced by women in the political environment.

 The descriptive research provide general overview after quantitatively

testing of variables measured from certain system in this case political
system and usually important recommendations becomes possible on
the basis of rich data and detail analysis. Furthermore, cross section
interpretations and philosophical design of this research covers the mix
approach model to investigate the variables.
 Epidemiologically it is not experimental but observational study in
descriptive design with cross sectional view point as male and female
politicians in addition to their area of representation are considered as
respondents against each query designed to collect valuable data.
 Exploration of phenomenon affecting women empowerment on
qualitative and conclusive with respect to statistical analysis as
quantitative methods are mainly categorized this research study as
mixed design.
Research Methodology

Table 3.1 Various Research Approaches

 Research Methodology
Usually inductive approach initiated by
collection of relevant data against subject
study and on the basis of data interpretation
researcher may develop theory this
technique refers to inductive approach as
shown in figure 3.3.

Deductive approach is reverse or opposite

process as compare to inductive approach
as researcher start with theoretical analysis
and find research gaps and consequently
design questions / hypothesis in order to
investigate specific objectives.

This project is based on deductive approach

as shown in figure 3.4. The study
administered by quantitative survey in order Figure 3.4 Deductive Approach
to conclude numerical results for realistic
conclusions.
 Research Methodology
initially 60 numbers of questions were designed to explore
the attitude and distributed to peoples but satisfactory
responses were not obtained hence number of questions
become reduces in order to increase response rate.
 Although 1170 politician were participated in 2013
election where 228 were women, but this strength
refers to overall population appeared in political
legislation process

 sample size is n=88 peoples including male and female

has been participated for the accomplishment of this
research study

 secondary data is available scholastically to support

research significance.
Analysis
 conclusion
Accumulative 43% people rated that equal rights and
justified quota is not available for women in our political
system.
70% agreed that gender action development plans must
be initiated to overcome any type of harassment and
gender discrimination associated with gender.

socio-economic factors and existing structure of the political system

hinders the women participation.
People endorsed that women have satisfactory leadership
capabilities in this perspective their strong desired to
promote gender free government by involving women in
policy making process.
There is no existence of a particular institution which
promotes the women empowerment in political system, It is
pertinent to mention their political studies being a subject or
degree program in universities or college is considered as
knowledge development whereas NGOs often focused on
social issues pertains to daily life of a women.
 conclusion
97% people agreed that there is strong need to strengthen the existing
women wings of all political parties in order to accomplish women
empowerment goals.
Cumulatively 75% of participants agreed that women wings do not
influence on decision making process and political parties merely include
the opinion or suggestion propagated from women wings.

Cumulatively 94% of participants agreed that successful participation of

women from lower hierarchy to upper tier being a political representative
significantly correlated to ancestor’s heritage.
Large number of respondents as revealed from the resultant outcomes
explicitly declared that there is lack of appreciation and neither
standardized method of performance evaluation existed nor previous and
current work of women politician realized accordingly.
Real empowerment is linked with decision making and implementation
authority being a political leadership and same concept agreed by 90%
who denied unrealistic numerical labeling.
 conclusion
Accumulative 51% participants agreed electorate’s lack of confidence in
women, and exigencies of availability that political activity demands are
equally major obstacles to women’s participation
Accumulative 98% participants agreed that appropriate budget must be
allocated for women empowerment.

Cumulatively all people agreed that women have insufficient quota or

smaller membership than men which may seem discrimination.

Accumulative 97% participants agreed that the female also be the part
of decision making committees of the party

74% participants that females take more factors into consideration for
appropriate decisions; however, there is chance of biasness as 60% of
the participants are women as world statistics regarding intelligent
quotient test results indicated small variations between male and
females IQ.
 conclusion
90% participants agreed that well-developed strategies to increase the
level of women’s participation in decision-making bodies, quality in
women’s representation
43% participants agreed opposing trends in politics where political
parties continue to resist the granting of party tickets to female
candidates.

48% participants agreed that female become president/ prime minister

of the country.

All respondents agreed that mentorship programs are essentially

required to develop women capacity building strategies in political arena.

Cumulatively 95.5% agreed that necessary laws must be initiated to

declare women participation as mandatory.
 conclusion
• Cumulatively all people agreed that awareness campaigns must be initiated to empower women in political
system for their rights.

• 59% of the societies consider women’s political participation as anti-Islamic.

• 30.7% thinking that lack of mechanisms for protection of women within the political parties.

• 36% responding that nominating women candidates in areas where it is difficult for them to win.

• 76% agreed the culturally accepted principle that women must first fulfill their responsibility at home and to
their families hinders their entry and progress in politics.

• lack of unity among women parliamentarians and they are not keen to take up women’s issues because of
party politics is not an issue as this thought is regretted by 36%.

• Almost people agree to increase each party’s membership of women to a minimum of 40% and
representation in the central working committee to a minimum of 30% to ensure that women participate in
the process of decision.
 RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusion drawn from literature reviewed and descriptive analysis shows
particularly in all perspectives women required to continue their struggle for
empowerment especially in political system.

Although numerical strength of the women in parliament has been increased but
still it is not justified quota as compare to their problems integrated with
approximately 50% of the total population, quota should be gender fair realistic
government with decision making authorities.

It has also been observed from concluded data that illiteracy cause of actual
ignorance leading to gender discrimination as data revealed after increasing
literacy level, all parties established their political women wings, in this connection
educational development of each Pakistani must be sustained in order to moderate
enlighten nation. Moreover, gender action plan developed to avert gender
harassment must be practiced with national action plans.

Specific training institutes mandatory for developing leadership capabilities of

women. Existing women wings should be strengthened with visible influence on
the decision making by eliminating ancestor’s factor towards upper positions.
Standardized performance evaluation system must be initiated to realize work of
every politician, for example how much budget or resources allocated and how
many projects completed with quality management perspective.
Questions session ?