Women of top 5 parties join hands for more representation in decision-making bodies

[Naveed Yaseen]

Women wings of five parties adopt National Action Plan
By Jamila Achakzai
ISLAMABAD: More than 90 representatives of women wings of five major political parties on Thursday developed and endorsed a National Action Plan to strengthen their wings and boost their representation in the decision-making bodies of their respective political parties.

The plan is the outcome of a two-day workshop arranged by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to launch a new three-year programme to strengthen women’s participation in political parties.

The participants included senators, MNAs, MPAs and central, provincial and district level leaders of PPP, PML-N, PML-Q, ANP and MQM from Islamabad and all the four provinces.

Recommendations for the plan were drafted by party groups and then presented to a plenary session for discussion. The participants unanimously adopted the plan by a show of hands after presentation of the final draft by an Advisory Committee made up of representatives from all five parties.

The National Action Plan sets out minimum standards for women’s participation in political parties with two key objectives: to strengthen women’s wings and to increase women’s representation on party decision making bodies.

The plan calls for election of all women wing positions with a limited term of office, autonomy of women wing to be enshrined in the party constitution to plan and organize their own activities, raise funds and decide their use, training of women wing members, regular communication between different organizational levels of the women’s wing and regular meetings between the provincial president and the district presidents; maintaining records of members, meetings and other activities; office-bearers of the women wing to receive the same recognition as their counterparts in other wings; and representation of women from minorities in the women wing.

“Your strength is your unity,” noted keynote speaker Asma Jahangir, who is the Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). She urged the participants to make alliances with other parties, as well as with the civil society, to mainstream women issues with other problems in society.

“Women are the first victim of any crisis in a society, be it financial or the overall culture of violence, therefore, they must be united to be effectively handle the challenges,” said Asma.

NDI Country Director Sheila Fruman credited the party activists for helping to create a new space for democracy to flourish in Pakistan in the Feb 18 election. She said the parties must recognize that contribution and create more opportunities for women to play leadership roles as part of a winning strategy.

She noted that in 2003 all the five parties had signed Global Action Plan initiated by NDI to enhance women’s political participation. She lauded women for developing a consensus National Action Plan as a way to implement the previous commitment of their party leaders. She reconfirmed NDI support to women wings to implement the plan.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg11_6