Pakistan

“If you want to know how civilized a culture is, look at how they treat its women.” - Bacha Khan

In the heart of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a region brimming with resilience and potential, there exists a stark reality that impedes its progress: the underrepresentation of women in the political sphere. This disparity not only stifles the voices of half the population but also hampers the region's socio-economic development.

Washington —  When Suriya Bibi was running for a seat earlier this year on the Khyber Pakhtunkwa provincial assembly, she faced numerous challenges beyond being a woman and hailing from a minority sect in Pakistan's remote district of Chitral.

On International Women’s Day, March 8, women in major cities across Pakistan, including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Multan, took to the streets for the seventh consecutive year to advocate for gender equality, justice, and safety against patriarchal norms.

In Pakistan, as in corporate boardrooms around the country women are often absent. In recent years this has changed at a glacial pace. Pakistan’s Diva magazine profiled a handful of prominent female CEOs in a 2020 article.

The Pakistan elections are only a day away, on February 8, and candidates of all genders, religions, and political parties are working hard to make their mark in the polls.

PESHAWAR: In the lead-up to Pakistan’s general elections on Thursday, a concerning reality emerges regarding the inadequate prioritization of women’s representation within political parties.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 120 million people were pushed into vulnerable situations and we witnessed a great need for more community engagement and participation across the board. Coupled with domestic economic instability, political upheaval, countries in transitional democracies have borne disproportionate burdens. Over the years, there has been a conversation that has been missing from the development space, and especially in women’s development, that has the potential to bridge the gap between scholars and practitioners.