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July '06: Elected but still barred
Individualland spotlight is a monthly monitor on
political affairs printed on the 17th of every month
by individualland.com. Individualland would welcome
reproduction & dissemination of the contents of this
report after proper acknowledgment.
Elected but still barred
(July 2006)
Readers would recall that Individualland and the
mainstream media last year highlighted some areas of
the country where women were not allowed to contest
in the local elections. One such area was Upper Dir
in the North West Frontier Province. They were only
allowed to do so after hectic efforts by the
government. For it's July individu-spotlight,
Individualland wanted to inquire as how are the
women who filed their nomination papers amidst the
media glare and the Federal Government's blessings,
faring? How has their performance been in the
District Assembly? What has been their experience
now that the media and NGOs attention has moved
away?
This time last year the country was caught up in
local elections fever. The Election Commission of
Pakistan had announced the election schedule end of
June and groups were busy in canvassing. The thirty
three percent reservations of women seats at the
local level had been reduced. In 2000, the number of
reserved seats for women were 33% which had been a
long standing demand of women's groups in Pakistan.
Women did contest and there were even two women
elected as District Nazims or Mayors. However, there
were a number of women who contested only on paper.
They never even left their houses as canvassing was
done by their male relatives. Once elected, a number
of the women did not attend the sessions. This led
to a decrease in the number of women reserved seats
in 2005.This decision to reduce women seats was
protested hotly by various civil society
organizations. However, in spite of this reduction a
number of women were elected to the district
assemblies.
Readers would recall that Individualland and the
mainstream media highlighted some areas of the
country where women were not allowed to contest. One
such area was Upper Dir. During the local bodies
polls held in August last year, a Jirga imposed a
ban on women to file their nomination papers. After
hectic efforts of then adviser to the prime minister
on women development, Nilofar Bakhtiar, women in Dir
filed their papers and some 87 of them were elected
to the union councils. However, none of the 69,201
registered female voters in the district were
allowed to cast vote in the election. The same
situation was also observed in the 2002 general
elections.
To ensure that the women of Dir area got their
political rights, the then Women Affairs Advisor,
Ms. Nelofer Bakhtayar was dispatched to the area
where she `negotiated" with the tribal jirga to
allow women to contest. As cameras looked on, the
women candidates in the presence of the Advisor
filed their nomination papers. This was regarded as
a triumph of the government and it was declared that
the government takes its gender credentials very
seriously. The barring of women from contesting or
casting their votes was seriously taken notice of
and it was also declared that if there is evidence
that in an area women 's political rights have been
violated, the elections will be declared null and
void.
This was last year. Next month a year would be
completed since the incident. After the Advisor has
changed portfolios, after the cameras have shifted
to other newsworthy locations , what has been the
fate of the women councilors of Upper Dir in the
North West Frontier Province? Individualland wanted
to inquire as how are the women who filed their
nomination papers amidst the media glare and the
Federal Government's blessings, faring? How has
their performance been in the District Assembly?
What has been their experience now that the media
and NGOs attention has moved away? The truth is
unfortunately, not very pleasant.
Barred from filing nomination papers to contest the
local bodies' elections last year, now the elected
women councilors of Upper Dir are being barred from
attending their respective councils meetings and
their non-elected male relatives attend the meetings
on their behalf. This practice is supported and
encouraged by the leaders of District, Tehsil and
Union Councils, thus depriving women of their
political rights. Most of the women councilors are
being represented by their male family members such
as husbands, sons and brothers. The male members
regularly attend the District Assembly sessions on
their behalf, sign for them, speak for them, vote
for them and of course needless to say also collect
their honorariums. In other words, in Upper Dir we
have women representatives on the reserved seats
that in their turn are being represented by their
sons, brothers, husbands and fathers. So for all
practical purposes, the women reserved seats are
being occupied by men in Upper Dir. This leads one
to an interesting question. Do these pseudo female
representatives meet the minimum requirements of
being a District Assembly member? If so, than why
didn't they contest themselves? Was it because they
did not qualify? Or is it a shrewd political
strategy on the part of the male members as women
reserved seats are easier? Get the woman elected on
the women reserved seat and than make her sit at
home. Very shrewd.
This decision to have the women representatives be
represented by their male family members is actually
a consensus decision. According to Individualland's
researchers, the Nazim and the Councilors have
formed a formal alliance to keep the women out. But
in the interests of being gender sensitive ala Dir
style the women of the area are also represented by
the pseudo males. In fact, not only have the Nazims
and councilors formed an alliance to keep women
councilors out of their respective councils, but the
responsible government officials and agencies have
also not reported the illegal practice to the
Election Commission, let alone taking any action.
The conveners of all councils are part of this game,
as they are not preventing the non-elected male
representatives of women councilors from entering
the councils, signing the roll and taking part in
discussions. Interestingly, the individuals are also
well aware of the illegal nature of this act.
Speaking to a local reporter one of the Union
Councils councilor has himself admitted that the
action is illegal but also maintained that women
cannot sit in the Assembly and all as `` serious
debate takes place in the sessions . " The gentleman
also declared that if any women councilor was
interested in the session proceedings, she can very
well ask her male family member to bring her up to
speed.
There are nine women councilors in district council,
six in Tehsil council Dir and three in town council
Wari. Only two women councilors are personally
attending the DC meetings, while none in Tehsil
councils of Dir and Wari are allowed to attend the
meetings. "We advise them not to attend the
meetings, ensuring them they will be marked present
in the roll," confided an official, requesting not
to be named according to a local report.
When contacted by Individualland's researchers the
Assistant Election Commissioner Dir Upper, Mr.
Khushhal Khan said that EC could not take suo moto
action, as the matter had not been reported by any
council. Referring to the rule, he said member of
any council would be disqualified if he/she did not
attend three consecutive sessions without any
reason. He said the women councilors not attending
their sessions could be disqualified once their
absence was reported to the EC.
Upper Dir is just one district which Individualland
's researchers have pointed out. The question that
we are afraid to ask is : how many other Upper Dir's
are there around the country where women enjoy
political rights only on paper?
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