Advocacy & Lobbying

Throughout its history, Pakistan has grappled with enduring patriarchal norms and cultural customs that confine women to the domestic sphere, obstructing their engagement in broader societal roles. These malpractices have translated into systemic impediments that create a challenging environment for women seeking to enter the political arena. These experiences are further exacerbated based on their identities, amplifying the challenges women face in their pursuit of political participation in Pakistan. This complexity is particularly pronounced for marginalised minority women, as their intersectional identities, encompassing race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and other factors, intersect to create distinct and often compounded challenges. 

The intersectionality of these identities not only influences the issues that resonate with them but also shapes the barriers they face in political participation. The lack of diverse representation in political offices becomes a hindrance, as the unique concerns and perspectives of minority women may be overlooked in policy-making processes. The experiences of women in politics are shaped by the intricate ways their identities are perceived. The challenges faced by Baloch, Hindu, and religious minority women underscore the necessity of understanding and addressing these complexities to pave the way for inclusive political representation.

Women from marginalised backgrounds, such as women of colour, race, ethnicity, minority religions and marginalised classes experience unique challenges due to the intersections of their identities, leading to compounded barriers and exclusion. Cultural norms also play a pivotal role, as they intersect with gender to reinforce barriers to women's political participation. Conservative cultural expectations restrict women's mobility and public engagement, limiting their access to political spaces.

Read here the full article published by The Friday Times on 23 September 2024.

Image credits: The Friday Times

UNITED NATIONS 25 September 2024 (IDN) — The first eight months of 2024—described as a “super election year”—have seen limited progress in women’s representation in parliaments worldwide.

A mid-year provisional analysis by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), released September 25, points out  that with roughly half the world’s population going to the polls in 2024, the year started with high hopes that women’s representation would increase in the lead-up to the 30th anniversary next year of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a global policy framework for achieving gender equality adopted by 189 countries.

But with parliamentary renewals in 37 chambers across 30 countries by the end of August, the global share of women MPs has inched up to 27%, a mere 0.1 percentage point increase since the start of the year.

At this rate, the annual progress is expected to be lower than in recent years, raising concerns about a potential stagnation or even reversal of the gains made.

Read here the full article published by IDN on 25 September 2024.

Image credits: IDN

Afghan women earned the right to vote more than a century ago. Today, under Taliban rule, they are practically erased from public life and even banned from singing. 

These were just some of the chilling observations and testimony from Afghan women, together with supporters from around the world, who convened at UN Headquarters on Monday to discuss inclusion and women’s rights going forward.

“Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to include women in all matters concerning Afghanistan’s future meaningfully,” said former Afghan diplomat Asila Wardak of the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan.

Stressing that the country’s future “cannot be built on the exclusion of half of the population,” she said that “women must be part of the solution, not sidelined.”

UN expresses solidarity 

The meeting was co-hosted by Ireland, Indonesia, Switzerland and Qatar, in partnership with the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan, which works to ensure that Afghan women are included in any dialogue and decision-making at the international level on the future of their country. 

It came on the eve of the annual debate in the General Assembly, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres took time out of his packed schedule to uphold international solidarity with Afghan women.

“We will continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women and call for them to play a full role in the country’s life, both inside its borders and on the global stage,” he said.

Mr. Guterres vowed that the UN “will never allow gender-based discrimination to become normalized anywhere in the world,” adding “what is happening in Afghanistan can be compared with some of the most egregious systems of oppression in recent history.”

Read here the full article published by The European Sting on 24 September 2024.

Image credits: The European Sting

Remarks delivered by UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous at the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly Platform of Women Leaders, during the high-level segment of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, 24 September 2024.

It is an honour to join His Excellency, Mr. Philemon Yang, President of the 79th session of the General Assembly, in welcoming you to the third UN General Assembly Platform of Women Leaders. The Platform is an expression of our shared commitment to amplify the voices of women at the highest levels of political power and to provide a forum for diverse perspectives in the multilateral arena. I can only reiterate the words of the President of the General Assembly: we are all here to listen from you and to learn from you.

In a groundbreaking event, delegates from Europe and Central Asia committed to accelerating progress on gender equality and making the lives of women and girls across this region better. The international conference “Charting the Future 30 Years after Beijing: Effective Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment” brought together over 80 officials from across Europe, Central Asia, and beyond¹.

The event, organized by the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in partnership with the Government of Albania, contributes to the global review of the Beijing Declaration. This review will take place during the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Focusing on assessing progress in implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly, the conference highlighted effective institutional mechanisms as the driving force behind sustainable gender equality strategies, emphasizing their critical role in advancing women's rights - a key area of focus in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

“We stand at a pivotal moment,” said Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN Women Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, UN System Coordination and Programme Results. “As the UN General Assembly is meeting to shape the future, the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action gives us the compass of the work that we do on advancing gender equality, the empowerment and rights for all women and girls,” concluded UN Women Deputy Executive Director.

Read here the full article published by UN Women on 24 September 2024.

In a discussion with The Regulatory Review, globally recognized women’s human rights expert Rangita de Silva de Alwis offers her thoughts on the increasing presence of women in leadership positions around the world.

Women are rising through the ranks of political, corporate, and academic life. According to de Silva de Alwis in a forthcoming article, this increased representation of women in the political decision-making process in Europe has spurred critical legislation safeguarding the rights of women. For example, de Silva de Alwis points out that Spain’s enacted gender quota, which led to a legislative composition of 44 percent women, allowed for the passage of the first paid menstrual leave, expanded abortion rights, and reconceptualized affirmative consent in rape law.

Despite these developments, de Silva de Alwis argues that women remain underrepresented in all levels of political decision making. She writes that, to achieve true gender parity in political life, the policy focus should center on not only the percentage of women leaders but also their achievements once elected. De Silva de Alwis predicts that as over 60 countries enter a major election cycle during the coming year, opportunities will arise for even more women to step into positions of power.

In this Spotlight, de Silva de Alwis—drawing on her illustrious career in international women’s rights advocacy and scholarship—contextualizes this important moment in political change, identifies challenges facing women candidates, and analyzes the actions of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination (CEDAW) that seek to advance gender parity.

Read here the full article published by The Regulatory Review on 22 September 2024.

Image credits: The Regulatory Review