Female voter turnout in Pakistan has less to do with militancy or terrorism and more to do with culture. We have a disturbing history of excluding women from the electoral process. Pakistan currently has 38.8 million registered male voters compared to 32. 2 million registered female voters.
During a visit to the villages of district Sanghar, I saw that people are not interested in allowing women to exercise their right to vote. Although the constitution guarantees women’s empowerment, these rights are not implemented. The concerned authorities should plan awareness programmes for rural women about the importance of taking part in the electoral process.
Nobahar Wassan
Karachi
