Pakistan Review News and Reviews

Revolutionary slogans of political parties for women.

There is increased participation of women in the upcoming generalk elections. The Political parties have also included some revolutionary slogans in their election manifestoes. Here is the detail of women candidates of major political parties and their agenda regarding the women problems.

Pakistan Muslim League(QA)

Pakistan Muslim League (QA) has taken the lead in providing 35 per cent seats to the women, with 66 women contesting at reserved Provincial Assembly seats and 60 at the National Assembly seats.
Whereas 15 women are contesting at the general seats among whom 7 for the National Assembly and 8 for the Provincial Assembly seats.

Agenda

"The provision of education and medical care of females is on top of our agenda, whereas abolishing the discriminatory laws also stands as an important task to be under taken", said Mehnaz Rafi commenting on the participation of women in the elections.
PML(Q) has made it part of its manifesto to provide ample opportunities to women in assemblies, high courts and all departments of the armed forces.

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian: PPPP has 57 women candidates contesting for the Provincial Assembly seats and 28 for the National Assembly seats. The PPP has 8 candidates for the general seats.

Agenda

The provision of health and education facilities is our top agenda", Sajjida Mir said. Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians candidate Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig also elaborated his party position on discriminatory laws against women and said that the PPP fully endorse repealing all such laws.

Pointing out what he termed some landmark steps of the PPP, Dr Baig said that the establishment of the First Women's Bank, women's police stations, setting up of crisis centres and the appointment of women judges were all done when the PPP was in power.

Pakistan Muslim League(N) is offering 36 seats of Provincial Assembly to their women candidates and 14 seats to the National Assembly contestants while 5 women are contesting at the National Assembly seats.

Agenda

The PML-N candidate for NA-48, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, said Islam had clearly mentioned the status of women and it needed only political will on the part of government to incorporate those tenets. He said the PML-N will introduce strict legislative measures to counter all types of violence against women. Our government will set up a special department which would be responsible for providing dowry to the poor girls."

Millat Party has 2 women candidates contesting for Provincial Assembly seats and 7 for National Assembly seats.

Agenda

The agenda of Millat Party is also the provision of free education at the primary level and health facilities to the women. Representing the Millat Party, part of the National Alliance, its candidate Javed Jabbar said that 33 per cent representation of women in all elective bodies is part of the founding documents of the Millat Party.

Jamat-i-Islami has 34 women candidates for National Assembly and 55 for Provincial Assembly seats.

Agenda

The main points of the agenda for the women empowerment encompass the provision of health facilities and cheap justice to the women. "We want women should lead a respectable life in the society", Afia Ghani of the Jamat-i-Islami said.

Tehrek-i-Insaf has offered 15 seats of Provincial Assembly to their women candidates while 2 women are contesting at national level on general seats.

Agenda

PTI wants women empowerment not by offering them alms but imparting them quality education." He said the PTI wanted to provide free education to girls up to metric level. The party would fix 20 per cent quota for women in public sector, which would be implemented over the next five years.

The increase in women representation would definitely help in highlighting the problems of the women especially the sensitive issues like honor killings and the portrayal of women in the media.
"The women representation can play a key role in their development and empowerment at national level. Major problems of women can only be solved if they are given a fair chance to fight for their rights" says a political analyst.
The conventional image of Pakistani women has transformed into the reality of a strong and a confident human being as it is evident from the fact that more and more women are being encouraged to take part in the running of the national affairs.
The print and the electronic media have raised awareness about the women's role in society. The screening of talk shows about the women issues and publishing of stories regarding women problems have given a boost to the political awareness among women.