Islamabad:On the occasion of National Day for Women, the European Union (EU), in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), has launched the Pakistan Women Leaders Project (PWL) – a four-year project aimed at enhancing women’s leadership and political participation in Pakistan with the objective of advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The project aims to tackle multifaceted issues focusing on increasing women’s participation in the electoral process, enhancing their representation in decision making roles, and addressing the broader socio-cultural and economic challenges that hinder their effective engagement in political life. A key emphasis of the project is educating voters and facilitating voters’ registration, especially in areas where women and marginalised communities are underrepresented. Combating political violence and misinformation forms another vital component of the initiative, that is funded with 4.8 million euros. In addition to that, capacity building and raising awareness are crucial elements of the initiative besides considerable attention to developing mentorship programmes and networks. Another major objective of the project is to embed gender considerations within political parties and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). A large number of women parliamentarians from federal and provincial assemblies attended the launched event which featured inspiring and informative speeches, a presentation and an animation on the project’s objectives and strategies and a panel discussion where women politicians shared their political journeys and challenges they faced in making their place in the highly male dominated environment. The audience included policymakers, civil society representatives, development partners, parliamentarians, political parties, and media persons.
While addressing the audience, Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Member National Assembly (MNA) and Secretary of the National Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), stated, "Women’s leadership is the cornerstone of progress. Empowering women means empowering Pakistan. This project is both timely and a crucial step in the right direction.”
In her keynote remarks, Dr. Riina Kionka, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, said, “The European Union is committed to promoting gender equality and women’s leadership. The launch of the Pakistan Women Leaders Project is a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society. One distinctive feature of this program is the mentorship program through which aspiring women parliamentarians, local councillors and women leaders will be mentored by engagement of the civil society to play a crucial role in advancing gender equality. With women comprising nearly half of Pakistan’s 240-million population, closing the gender gap in leadership through such mentorship programs is critical.”
Jamshed M. Kazi, country representative of UN Women Pakistan, emphasised the project’s relevance for promoting gender equality and stated. He said that “despite notable yet uneven gains over the past two decades, women in Pakistan remain underrepresented in political and public life. Today nearly 9.9 million women in Pakistan are missing from the electoral rolls and only 5 per cent of the senior leadership positions in the economy are held by women. These statistics represent millions of voices silences and millions of dreams unfulfilled and millions of opportunities lost.”
He said that “This project addresses important challenges, such as increasing women’s participation in the electoral process and decision-making roles, and addressing socio-cultural and economic barriers that limit their engagement in political life. The Pakistan Women Leaders Project aims to promote women’s leadership across Pakistan."
Commenting on the project, Dr. Samuel Rizk, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan, said, “Empowering women as leaders through social and political participation is central to addressing systemic inequalities and creating a more equitable future. Through the PWL Project, UNDP will support the design and implementation of civic and voter education campaigns for women and socially marginalized groups across 15 districts with the lowest voter enrolment. We will also collaborate with partners to improve regulations on preventing violence against these groups in political and electoral processes."
In a presentation, Nighat Siddique Additional Director General, Election Commission of Pakistan, elaborated the role of the ECP in promoting women’s political participation. she stated that the PWL project aims to strengthen women’s leadership and address structural barriers that hinder their full participation in politics and decision-making, which would contribute to a more equitable and inclusive future for Pakistan.