A female lawmaker of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly complained on Friday of facing discrimination at the hands of male counterparts.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Dr Faiza Rashid, while speaking on the floor of the house on International Women’s Day, rebuked male parliamentarians, saying they were not ready to consider female members as equals because they were elected on reserved seats.
“We always have to hear taunts that you are not directly elected,” Faiza said. She asked for the discrimination to be put to an end, maintaining there is no law which says being elected on reserved seats makes one inferior.
K-P Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain said being elected on a reserved seat was a privilege and more prestigious than being directly elected, as it takes three to four lawmakers to select one woman on a reserved seat. However, he also pointed out problems which hinder women’s participation in the electoral process, saying currently it was difficult even for males to contest elections.
Hussain said planned segregation in the society has also adversely affected the status of women. “Previously, boys and girls used to study together at the primary level, but now the situation has changed,” he said.
In his concluding remarks, Hussain said the protection of women’s rights was not only the duty of women, but also society’s collective responsibility. He added social contradictions and the tribal system among other issues impact women’s rights.
Assembly Speaker Kiramatullah Chagarmati said the assembly session was part of the commemoration of International Women’s Day and that it appreciates the role women play in the development of Pakistan.
“We must not forget and should look at the women around us who are suffering from all sorts of deprivation,” he said.
Legislation
The assembly also passed six bills, while two other bills were introduced in the house during the course of the proceedings.
The assembly unanimously passed K-P Industrial Statistics Bill 2013, K-P Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Orders) Bill 2013, K-P Minimum Wages Bill 2013 and K-P Motor Vehicles (amendment) Bill 2013, while K-P Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Bill 2013 and K-P Foodstuffs (control) Amendment Bill 2013 were passed with amendments.
Minister for Higher Education Qazi Asad introduced K-P Universities (amendment) Bill 2013 and Minister for Environment Wajid Ali Khan introduced K-P Rivers Protection (amendment) Bill 2013 in the house. The assembly session was later adjourned till Monday afternoon.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2013.