SDPI calls for 33pc women's quota in political party decision-making bodies

Islamabad:Experts on Monday demanded that all the political parties of the country should ensure 33 per cent women’s quota in political party’s decision making bodies along with increase in political participation of the women under the Constitutional Amendment of Election Act 2017.

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) hosted a seminar today titled "Why We Need Women's Representation in Political Parties at all Levels," bringing together election experts and policymakers to address the critical issue of women's underrepresentation in Pakistan's political party structure in line with the SDPI's discussion paper "Raising Her Voice in Political Parties."

Former Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, focused on constitutional and legislative reforms necessary to bridge the gender gap in political representation, stating, "The current 5% quota for women candidates on general seats is weakly enforced across parties, with no penalties for non-compliance. Parties often place women in unwinnable constituencies, undermining the intent of the quota."

Zafarullah Khan, Former Executive Director of the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), stated, "Women's wings focus on social issues but have minimal say in decision-making. Even when women hold leadership roles, their influence remains limited." Khan's research demonstrated that among the 16 political parties represented in Parliament, very few have reserved quotas for women in their apex decision-making forums. Progressive parties like Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People's Party-Parliamentarian, while have women's wings, provide limited information about women's representation in central decision-making bodies.

Shabir Ahmed from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems warned that "democracy can bend or break," emphasizing that "without internal democratic practices that genuinely include women, quotas become mere numerical exercises."

Dr. Alia Amir from QAU's Centre of Excellence for Gender Studies called for ‘systematic capacity development of political parties’ and ‘targeted programs for women's inclusion from grassroots to leadership.’

Speaking at the event, Deputy Executive Director SDPI Qasim Shah emphasized "While women constitute nearly 49% of Pakistan's population, they hold merely 20% of legislative seats and 9.4% of ministerial positions. We are calling for immediate amendments to Sections 207 and 208 of the Election Act 2017 to establish a mandatory 33% quota for women in all political party decision-making bodies."

He further emphasised the need to reform party enlisting requirements, noting that "the current requirement of minimum 2,000 members for party enlistment with the Election Commission should be amended to include a mandatory 33% women membership requirement, reflecting their proportionate share in Pakistan's population."

The event, attended by representatives from several organisations including CPDI, FES, QAU and ECP, concluded with calls for immediate legislative action to ensure women's meaningful political participation.