Active participation of female parliamentarians in legislation stressed

Islamabad
Female politicians emphasised on the need for collective action of women parliamentarians, irrespective of party, region, ethnicity or seniority, for women’s political participation in the country.
They expressed these views at a training workshop organised by the Search for Common Grounds (SCFG) as part of the ongoing ‘Women’s Initiative for Learning and Leadership’ (WILL) campaign.
The campaign equips female politicians from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab with the necessary capacities and mechanisms to collaborate with government officials and representatives in their pursuit of effective governance. The participants of the workshop included female politicians from PTI, PML-N, JI, ANP and QWP.
At the end of the workshop, women politicians from different parties in KPK and FATA launched a collective action strategy to address the needs of the people living in the province. They stressed on active participation of women in legislation to carve out space for them in the male-dominated political system of Pakistan.
They shared their experiences of working at the community level and the challenges they face when they try to join mainstream politics. They also shared the strategies they adopted and alliances they were able to make during their journey.
They were of the opinion that the importance of the day-to-day governance that affects the people the most has been ignored. “A strong and committed women leadership would not only make laws, but also ensure an effective oversight of government actions, substantially debating the policies and seeking timely corrective measures,” they said.
The WILL Campaign aims at enhancing the role of women in Pakistan’s political landscape while producing a group of women leaders in Pakistan with greater understanding of their constituents’ needs and concerns.
The campaign is designed to increase the capacity of women parliamentarians as well as former and aspiring women councillors by magnifying their voices and bolstering their engagement in policy-making.
Speaking with women politicians from KPK at the closing a five-day training event, SCFG Program Manager, Sarah Kakakhel said that the already fragile health and education infrastructure in many areas of KPK is unable to cater to the needs of the communities. “Empowered women politicians could proactively seek opportunities to improve government services through legislation and oversight,” she said.
Gulshum Bibi Khankhel, joint secretary of PPP, said that such trainings play an effective role in enhancing the skills of women politicians. “I am determined to initiate a campaign for female voters and their voting rights in remote areas of KP, where women are discouraged for using their right to vote”.
SFCG Pakistan has been successfully working with women politicians at all tiers since the last 3 years and engaging them in a series of training workshops, leadership forums and networking summits.