ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released new figures for registered voters across the nation ahead of general elections scheduled for Feb. 8, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.
The ECP on Friday issued the schedule for general elections on Feb. 8 after instructions from the Supreme Court following weeks of widespread speculation that polls could be delayed.
Elections in the politically and economically troubled South Asian nation were due to be held in November but were delayed due to fresh demarcation of constituencies under a new census.
“As per the latest voters' data unveiled by the ECP, the total number of registered voters stands at 128,585,760 [128.59 million],” Radio Pakistan said.
“Within this demographic, 69,263,704 [69.26 million] individuals identify as male, constituting a significant portion of the electorate. Simultaneously, the female voter count is recorded at 59,322,056 [59.32 million], showcasing a strong and active participation of women in the electoral process.”
The total number of registered voters in the country in 2018, when the last general elections were held, was nearly 106 million.
Last month, Human Rights Watch said there was a “large gender gap” in voters in Pakistan, a country in which women make up 49 percent of the population but are far behind men in voter registration.
“10 million more men than women have registered to vote in the general election scheduled for February 8, 2024,” HRW said in its report in November. “This is a large gender gap in a country in which women make up 49 percent of the population.”
The Human Rights World report said though voting was a constitutional right for all adults in Pakistan, in past elections millions of women had been effectively barred from voting.
“Particularly in Pakistan’s most conservative constituencies, political party officials, local elders, and other powerful figures have colluded in broadcasting messages telling women not to vote and sometimes physically preventing them from polling stations,” the report added.
“Courts have been slow to uphold legal challenges to these practices”
In Pakistan, voters need to have a Computerized National Identification Card (CNIC) to be eligible to vote but despite public awareness campaigns and mobile registration centers meant to make it easier for women to obtain ID cards, many still cannot do so because of restrictions on movement and barriers to education. Not having a CNIC also deprives women of access to other essential services and benefits such as government loans and a monthly social security stipend under the Benazir Income Support Program.
In 2017, Pakistan enacted the Elections Act to address some of the reasons for women’s disenfranchisement. The law stipulates that for an election to be valid, at least 10 percent of the voters in any constituency had to be women. But this low percentage has done little to address the disparity, according to experts.
Pakistan’s constitution permits the government to achieve equality of citizens by adopting special provisions for the protection of women. The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) obligates governments to “take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in political and public life,” including in elections.
The CEDAW Committee, in a General Recommendation, calls for “full and equal participation of women” in democratic political systems.
“Governments and parliaments should reflect the makeup of society as a whole; millions of missing women voters means their concerns are poorly represented in Pakistan,” HRW said.
“As the country approaches another general election, the Pakistan government should take urgent steps to ensure women can participate on an equal basis in the electoral process.”
