Islamabad: The Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) has initiated a dialogue aimed at strengthening the parliamentary quota system for women and minorities as part of the National Women's Day observance. The inaugural session, led by WPC Secretary Dr. Shahida Rehmani, took place on Thursday with key stakeholders in attendance.
According to Free and Fair Election Network, discussions during the session centered on assessing the current reservation of seats for women in both the Parliament and Provincial Assemblies. The dialogue emphasized the need for ongoing reform to ensure the constitutional promise of full participation of women in national life is realized. The session was attended by representatives including Deputy Speakers from the Provincial Assemblies of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, women parliamentarians, parliamentary experts, and civil society members.
Parliamentary experts highlighted the significant role women on reserved seats play in parliamentary proceedings, noting their substantial contribution to the parliamentary agenda and quorum maintenance. Reports from FAFEN show that women parliamentarians accounted for 49 percent of the total parliamentary business during 2024-2025, a notable achievement given their smaller numbers in the legislative bodies.
The dialogue saw speakers advocating for reforms to enhance women's representativeness and influence, with proposals ranging from improving the current party-list based proportional allocation model to considering direct election methods for women on reserved seats. Women parliamentarians also shared challenges they face, including financial constraints, political marginalization, and social hurdles that affect their electoral participation.
FAFEN has consistently highlighted issues related to the representativeness of reserved seats and recommended reforms in the election methods for these positions. At the dialogue's conclusion, the Caucus adopted a resolution to advance women's political participation at all levels. This includes stronger measures to prevent and address violence against women in politics, with calls for safe complaint mechanisms and accountability frameworks.