[{"bbox": [96, 152, 1164, 286], "category": "Text", "text": "rights conventions and introducing pro-women legislation and strategies including the 2022 National Gender Policy Framework⁴. Pakistan’s Vision 2025⁵ also acknowledges the discrimination faced by women and highlights the need to promote an enabling environment for them to realise their full potential and be visible and more effective contributors to the socioeconomic development of the country. However, whilst laws and strategies for women’s empowerment and protection are in place at national and sub-national levels, implementation remains weak."}, {"bbox": [96, 298, 1164, 405], "category": "Text", "text": "The political landscape in Pakistan remains characterised by male dominated patriarchal parties with predominantly dynastic tendencies leaving little room for party activists, independent women aspirants to enter in the corridors of power. Even when formal barriers are removed through legal interventions, systemic obstacles prevent women from achieving equal opportunity in the political space."}, {"bbox": [96, 417, 1164, 785], "category": "Text", "text": "The year 2002 is considered a milestone in achieving 17% women quota for legislatures. However, the influx of women in the national and provincial assemblies also witnessed an elite capture of that space, taking away diversity of voice and representation and reducing women’s meritocratic considerations. Similarly, while the 2017 electoral reform mandates political parties to allow at least 5% women candidates to contest elections on general seats, women are given party tickets to contest on losing constituencies as it is perceived that women lack social and economic capital to compete. Since the 2018 general elections, of the 272 National Assembly constituencies, only 3.7% of the general seats were won by women. The 2018 EU Election Observation Mission report identified these systemic barriers and called in its priority recommendations for the “adoption of affirmative measures to foster the representation of women contesting general seats”.⁶ The 2022 needs assessment undertaken by the UN Electoral Assistance Division observed that civic and voter education must focus on women, youth, persons with disabilities, transgender, and religious minorities, and to ensure protection of rights of women to run for office. It also called for supporting engagement initiatives in Pakistan’s electoral processes and enhancing underrepresented groups’ participation as voters, candidates, especially to strengthen women’s participation as voters and electoral administrators."}, {"bbox": [96, 799, 1164, 1039], "category": "Text", "text": "Women also remain marginalised in the local governance discourse and a larger disconnect between women at the grassroots, provincial and federal levels is observed. The Constitution of Pakistan devolves powers to the grassroots and empowers local governments. However since 2018, these have been ineffective due to weak laws and institutional capacity challenges. A gender analysis of the Provincial Local Government Acts shows there is generally inadequate allocation of powers and resources to the local government, legal inconsistencies and shrinking representation of women and working classes. With the exception of Balochistan and Islamabad Capital Territory, none of the other provinces have reserved 33% of seats for women in the local government. The modality of election is dominantly indirect on reserved seats. Women's interest in participating in local government is going down which is reflected in the large number of seats reserved for women filled unopposed or remaining vacant."}, {"bbox": [96, 1051, 1164, 1158], "category": "Text", "text": "The elections foreseen in late 2023 present an opportunity to observe, learn and better strategise to implement impactful interventions in the run-up to the next electoral cycle in 2028. Another opportunity to deliver on inclusive participation presents itself in the 2023 Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework (4RF) which includes participation of women and youth as a strategic recovery objective."}, {"bbox": [96, 1170, 1164, 1409], "category": "Text", "text": "Pakistan has been ranked as one of the top ten countries most affected by climate change and women and people with disabilities being affected the most. Unprecedented floods in 2022 left one third of the country under water, affecting 33 million citizens. As reported by the 2022 Post Disaster Needs Assessment, the extensive loss of livelihoods, assets, and human capital built on existing disparities and affected the most vulnerable and marginalised households, with disproportionate impacts on women and girls. This included exacerbated risk to health and child-birth, period poverty and safety. It is therefore crucial that women not only be treated as knowledge, skill, and rights-holders but also as change agents and policy makers – and that they are supported and strengthened in these roles. Women need to be actively and meaningfully engaged in the post-flood rehabilitation phase as well as in climate resilience planning and responses."}, {"bbox": [96, 1421, 1164, 1501], "category": "Text", "text": "In their Strategic Engagement Plan⁷, Pakistan and the EU commit to promoting electoral reforms as well as inclusive participation of women in all their diversity in governance and democratic processes. This means putting women at the centre of decision-making processes and policies that affect their lives, including the floods recovery and"}, {"bbox": [86, 1552, 466, 1574], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ https://www.pc.gov.pk/uploads/report/NGPF.pdf"}, {"bbox": [86, 1575, 619, 1598], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ https://www.pc.gov.pk/uploads/vision2025/Pakistan-Vision-2025.pdf"}, {"bbox": [86, 1599, 1023, 1622], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ Final Report, European Union Election Observation Mission, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, General Elections, 25 July 2018"}, {"bbox": [86, 1622, 462, 1644], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ EU – Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP)"}, {"bbox": [1130, 1650, 1144, 1672], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "5"}]