Legislative Quotas for Women: A global and ... - Aurat Foundation

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elected in 1997; 2.4 in the Senate and only 0.4 percent overall in the fourprovincial assemblies 29 . It became a matter of great concern for humanrights organisations in general and women’s rights groups in particular.This concern was equally echoed in the official reports concerningwomen’s issues. Report of The Commission of Inquiry for Womenappointed by the Government and headed by a judge of the SupremeCourt of Pakistan Mr. Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid says: “Equalparticipation of men and women in decision-making is a prerequisite foreffective and genuine democracy. It is unfortunate that even majordecisions that affect their lives in the form of laws and policies are madeprimarily by male-membership bodies with virtually no participation bywomen. This is a major reason why so many of the laws arediscriminatory and why most policies marginalise women. While it isvital for women to have a decisive voice on issues of particular concern tothem, it is equally critical to have their perspective and views reflected inother decisions in other spheres and at all levels”. 30Civil society movement for women reserved seatsIt was in this background and in the backdrop of the Fourth UnitedNations World Conference on Women held in Beijing in September 1995that Human rights and women rights groups launched a campaign for a 33percent representation of women in all the elected bodies of the country.Previous to the launching campaign a broad consensus had been reachedthat given the depressed condition of women in Pakistan, it was of utmostimportance that their representation in the assemblies and policy-makingbodies must be improved and for that purpose a forceful and sustainedaffirmative action was needed.“Women’s rights organisations and women in major political partiesagreed that the minimum necessary affirmative action for bringingwomen into the political mainstream was to reserve seats for them, but ithad to be accompanied by direct interaction with the general electorate.They finally came to a consensus that a minimum of 33 percent seats at29 AF Legislative Watch Newsletter No. 15 & 16).30 Report of The Commission of Inquiry for Women, Reprint, 199831
all levels must be reserved for women, who must be chosen throughdirect elections. Consequently Aurat Foundation (AF) launched a specificcampaign on this demand from 1995 onwards to mobilise its networks foradvocacy on the issue. Along with other right organisations, AF also setout to lobby legislators and the governments in power”. 31With Aurat Foundation taking the lead, several women’s rightsorganisations organised a round table discussion in July 1995 withrepresentatives of three major political parties of the country - PPP, PML-N, and ANP - on the issue of women’s reserved seats. The discussionresulted in signing of a joint declaration by the party representatives torestore women’s reserved seats and extend the provision to the Senate.The Commission of Inquiry for Women also endorsed the principles ofreservation and recommended 33 percent reservation of women seats inall the elective bodies, and also a system of direct, constituency basedelections by a joint electorate of women and men. 32In 1998, a country wide signatures campaign was undertake by advocacyorganisations to secure support for the principles of reservation and a 33percent representation. Wide-spread endorsements were received frommore than 1500 Civil Society Organisations; thousands of individuals;opinion leaders; legislators of 19 political parties; some ministers andoffice bearers of several women wings of political parties. After amassive advocacy campaign by Civil Society Organisations spearheadedby Aurat Foundation, the four provincial assemblies passed unanimousresolutions during 1998-99 urging the federal government to restore andenhance women’s reserved seats in all legislative bodies. 33 TheBalochistan Assembly was the first to approve such a resolution and itraised reserved seats for women in the Local Government from 16.4percent to 25.8 percent, the highest of any such achievement in thehistory of Pakistan.31 Citizens’ report of the Citizens’ campaign for Women’s Representation in LocalGovernment in Pakistan 2000-2001, AF, 200132 Report of The Commission of Inquiry for Women, Reprint, 199833 AF Legislative Watch Newsletter No. 15 and 16, 200132
Page 2 and 3: Legislative Quotasfor WomenA Global
Page 4: Table of ContentsNo. Content Page12
Page 7: For some experts, types of electora
Page 10 and 11: in and its impact on political deci
Page 13 and 14: The Beijing Platform for Action, ad
Page 15 and 16: it is argued, compensatory measures
Page 18 and 19: 2 The QuotasAs already stated in th
Page 20 and 21: acknowledged that the quota brought
Page 22 and 23: Gender quotas around the world 20Th
Page 24 and 25: Usually, this model has guaranteed
Page 26 and 27: Political Party Quotas are rules or
Page 28 and 29: 3 Reserved seats in PakistanHistori
Page 30 and 31: assemblies serving as electoral col
Page 34 and 35: Ministry of Women’s Development o
Page 36: In the second general elections hel
Page 39 and 40: AfghanistanAfghanistan’s National
Page 41 and 42: legislation by the Parliament. The
Page 43 and 44: “Nothing in the world is perfect,
Page 45 and 46: Sri LankaSri Lanka’s unicameral H
Page 47 and 48: Quantum of representationThe women
Page 49 and 50: legitimacy of the system in its obs

Legislative Quotas for Women: A global and ... - Aurat Foundation

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