Hyderabad: Sindh Community Foundation’s Tabeer program organised a seminar highlighting the importance of voting and the role of women in elections. A significant number of women, young people and laborers attended the seminar.
The seminar aimed at educating the voters and encouraging more women to cast their votes.
Javed Hussain of Sindh Community Foundation elaborated on the historical trajectory and importance of voting, highlighting that to vote is a basic democratic right of every citizen above the age of 18.
He further stressed that female voters have a lower turn out in the entire country arguing that lack of literacy and voter education are the primary reasons for the lower turn out of women. He praised Pakistan’s recently passed Elections Act 2017 which calls for taking special measures to increase the participation of women, religious minorities, trans genders and disabled persons in the election process.
Javed added that under the Elections Act 2017 if in any constituency women cast their vote less than 10 per cent than the election results of that constituency or polling station will be suspended. He said this is good step by the election commission and encourages women to cast their votes because their votes matter. Hameed Mallah and Aisha Agha of SCF also explained the voting process in detail to the participants.
Shahnaz Sheedi of South Asia Partnership Pakistan was of the view that women play a vital role in national economy but due to multiple reasons like gender discrimination, patriarchal mindsets and procedural hurdles, the female voter turnout does not increase.
She emphasised that candidates must include women empowerment and youth development in their manifestos and they must follow up on their commitments after being elected. Senior journalist Khalid Chandio – ex president of Hyderabad press club said that voters have been alienated by their political parties in terms of voter education and candidates should interact more frequently with voters rather than only during election time.
Youth activist Azar Niaz from SCF exclaimed that a larger number of young voters will vote for the first time this election and so the youth have the power to turn the results of the elections and hence should not refrain from casting their votes. Speakers also commented that appropriate arrangements should be made for female voters during the voting process.
