WOMEN LEGISLATORS AND THEIR INTERESTS IN POLICY MAKING IN PAKISTAN: A STUDY OF PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS PRESENTED IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DURING 2010-15
Keywords:
Women, Interests, Policy output, National Assembly, Private Member BillsAbstract
Ever since the increase in the number of women representatives in Pakistan’s legislature through reserved seats is made, gender politics has taken a lot of significance in the political landscape of Pakistan. Women thus entering in legislative institutions are expected, of course, to voice and advance issues relevant to women, family and children, i.e. pursue the traditional gender agenda. At the same time, they are expected to include gender perspective while addressing other public issues of mainstream politics. This paper seeks to answer the question as which areas of interests and priorities women representatives in the National Assembly of Pakistan have highlighted in policy output, and to what extent they raised the issues pertaining to public issues and mainstream politics. Private Members Bills presented by the women representatives in National Assembly of Pakistan during 2010-15 were examined. Performance of women representatives was found phenomenal and not limited to raising issues of women, children and marginalized segments of the society. Rather, activities of women legislators reflected a much broader variety of interests, and not simply limited to those areas traditionally thought to be of women’s interest.
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