Enough !!!

A women cast her vote in a polling station

Who stops Pakistani women to Vote ?

 

Women's suffrage  ( is the right of women to vote and to run for office) has been achieved at various times in various countries throughout the world. In many countries women's suffrage was granted before universal suffrage, so women (and men) from certain classes or races were still unable to vote, while some granted it to both sexes at the same time. According to a timeline lists years when women's suffrage was enacted in various places.

Pakistan declared independence on the 14th of August 1947. In 1956 right to vote extended to national level, previously only literate women could vote,  yes according to Constitution of Pakistan women can vote,  they have equal rights - but in certain areas men do not allow them to go outside of the house to cast their vote. Women may face two distinct barriers to exercising their right to vote. First, costs of participation may be too high. Traditions or cultural stereotypes may discourage the exercise. Second, women may have fewer or poorer sources of information about the significance of political participation or the balloting process.  women are often not registered as voters because they face opposition from male household heads and that female turnout is low because women lack knowledge about the electoral system and about voting. wish to read more, click here.

Women constitute for more than fifty percent of the population of Pakistan. Their participation in the elections is vital to ensure election of right candidate. However if one looks at the women participation in the past elections a sad reality comes to light that their participation has been less than expected. The women in urban areas have to some extent participated in the elections and casted their votes however the percentage has been quite low. Even the highly educated women often stay away from casting their vote. In the rural areas the situation is even worse. Either the women do not cast their votes at all or they act on the advice of the male members of the family. This way often not so deserving candidates get elected and deserving ones lose. The low voter turnaround among women voters is further highlighted by the fact that in 2008 elections average male voter turnaround in the country was almost 49.8% while in women voters it was almost 39.7%.

Women really want to go outside but they're not allowed to. They are dependent on men. In big cities it is different but in some areas, traditions are very strong so they can't.

There are two very different realities. There are women who have become prominent figures in every field of life. They are ministers, members of national and provincial assemblies and political leaders, but on the other hand, there are other women who are the most oppressed class of society. There are many areas in the country where women are deprived from their right of casting votes including Mardan, Shangla and other area like Mianwali.  A modern history states that elders and religious leaders attempted to prevent female participation by threatening punishment against tribesmen whose women registered, leading to under-registration in the female population. In 2008, the Taliban ordered women in the FATA regions of Bajaur, Kurram and Mohmand not to vote under threat of "serious punishment," while Mangal Bagh, chief of the Lashkar-e-Islam, forbade women to vote in the Jamrud and Bara subdivisions of the Khyber Agency. Not only in KPK or tribal areas wherever we have feudal system or have a low or no literacy rate women not allowed to poll.

watch the video

Pakistani women in Asian Championship

 

Women have the Nation's future in their hands, Support them.

Farida Afridi,   Co- founder of Women's Group in Pakistan

  Who Killed Farida Afridi?:(

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the killing of Farida Afridi, a social worker. 

In a meeting held on Thursday, HRCP said:
“It is a matter of grave concern that the risks facing human rights defenders and those working to ameliorate the lot of marginalised segments remain very high across the country. HRCP is utterly shocked at the targeted killing of Farida Afridi, whose only crime was working for the uplift of women in an area where they need such help the most.

Farida, together with her sister, Noorzia Afridi, co-founded SAWERA. At a young age, the sisters chose to devote their lives to promoting women's empowerment and peace in the tribal regions of Pakistan. Despite this, that we should help them or praise them, our society do no give them the right to stay alive.

Our hearts go out to Noorzia and their parents, family and friends. We hope they get at least some comfort in knowing that Farida has already helped many, in her short life.


 This incident once again highlight the level of brutalisation that Pakistani society has reached.

To read more about Afridi Sisters please click here.





 Mohammad Ali Jinnah, 1944 - 'Founding Father' of Pakistan said;

 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 the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live."