Along with the youth factor and the effect of militant violence, one of the unpredictables in the upcoming elections are the women voters. A recent report in this newspaper has noted that in the 2008 elections, not a single woman cast her vote in 31 polling stations in Punjab. This time, many hope that things will be different. The National Commission on the Status of Women has held a series of meetings with regards to women’s suffrage in the upcoming elections, and has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure adequate security for women in areas where they may be especially threatened. The commission has stressed that women should be made to feel secure in both, going out of their houses to vote, as well as voting of their own accord.
Along with the youth factor and the effect of militant violence, one of the unpredictables in the upcoming elections are the women voters. A recent report in this newspaper has noted that in the 2008 elections, not a single woman cast her vote in 31 polling stations in Punjab. This time, many hope that things will be different. The National Commission on the Status of Women has held a series of meetings with regards to women’s suffrage in the upcoming elections, and has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure adequate security for women in areas where they may be especially threatened. The commission has stressed that women should be made to feel secure in both, going out of their houses to vote, as well as voting of their own accord.