Women In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Struggle For Voting Rights Amid Cultural Challenges

(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) Peshawar: Cultural traditions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to hinder women's right to vote, a fact that 55-year-old Zeenat Bibi from Mohmand District finds deeply unfair. "If a woman earns, men forget about traditions and honor. But when it comes to voting rights, suddenly, they become sensitive about these values," she remarked.

Zeenat believes that when women are denied their right to vote, the government that takes charge is always decided by men, leaving women to suffer the consequences. Zeenat Bibi has been exercising her voting rights in every election. Although uneducated, she has never faced any difficulties in casting her vote, considering it her legal and constitutional right.

However, Gul Muhammad, a resident of Lower Dir who has lived in Peshawar for 40 years, does not allow the women in his family to vote. He explains that he dislikes the idea of his women standing in line at polling stations as it goes against their traditions. He also fears that villagers might mock him for forgetting "Pashtunwali" after moving to the city, as it is believed that women should remain within the confines of the home. "Purdah" is strictly observed among the Pashtuns, and voting could mean a potential breach of this tradition.

Zeenat Bibi strongly disagrees with Gul Muhammad's stance, stating that polling stations for women have female staff, ensuring privacy, and eliminating the need for any veil concerns: "This is just an excuse to keep women from voting according to their will."

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan's notification for the February 2023 elections, there are 128,585,760 registered voters in the country, with 69,263,704 male and 59,322,056 female voters. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are 21,928,119 registered voters, including 11,944,397 men and 9,983,722 women.

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Sohail Ahmed, a spokesperson for the Provincial Election Commission, revealed that in the 2018 general elections, the overall turnout of female voters was around 33%. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, women's voting was recorded at 32% for national assembly constituencies and 33% for provincial ones, a significant improvement from the 2013 elections. He noted that the report on female voter turnout for 2023 has not been released yet but will be published soon.

Rabia Basri, President of the Women's Wing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former MPA, commented on the low turnout of women voters, stating that while the number of registered women voters is high, they do not come out to vote: "One issue is the culture in KP, where most women observe purdah, and many men do not allow their women to leave the house to vote." She suggested that more women would vote if they were given the freedom to make independent decisions.

Regarding the challenges of low female voter turnout, senior analyst Muhammad Faheem from Peshawar believes the core problem lies in a lack of awareness: "When people understand why voting matters, they will make an effort to vote. Many women in KP feel their votes do not make a difference, which discourages them from participating."

Faheem also emphasized that political parties should include comprehensive plans to address women's issues in their manifestos and encourage women to vote. He highlighted that parties like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Peoples Party under Benazir Bhutto have significantly worked towards women's voting rights, which has paid off with higher support from women voters.

With legislative measures requiring at least 10% female voter turnout in each constituency for the results to be accepted, all political parties now strive to increase female voter participation. However, for a sustainable solution, parties must engage women actively, addressing their concerns and encouraging them to exercise their right to vote for their preferred candidates or parties.

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