In the recent 2024 elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 97 women contested elections. Despite increase in participation, only two independent female candidates backed by the PTI managed to secure victories on general seats from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Shandana Gulzar Khan, daughter of the late Gulzar Khan and a dissatisfied PTI MNA, secured a landslide victory in the National Assembly seat NA-30, receiving an impressive 78,971 votes. Her nearest opponent, representing JUI-F, managed only 20,950 votes.
Similarly, Suraya Bibi, running for the provincial assembly seat PK-1, achieved a significant win with 18,914 votes, surpassing her closest competitor from JUI-F who trailed with 10,533 votes.
This is concern in some ways that why proportionately less women are winning elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Elections Campaign challenges
Many women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced challenges and obstacles during their election campaigns, that hindered their chances of being elected. One significant factor contributing to their lower success rate is the numerous hurdles they encountered while campaigning, often stemming from societal harsh norms and traditions that restrict the open participation of women compared to male candidates. Additionally, in recent election female candidates backed by the PTI also faced obstacles, charged with FIRs. One notable example from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the case of Shandana Gulzar, who was unjustly charged with a FIR and subsequently arrested.
Deeply conservative and patriarchal values
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s deeply traditional and patriarchal traditions usually overshadow female representation and empowerment; decisions are primarily made by men; the majority believe that elections are mainly men affair only, women have minimal agency. Such conservativism and patriarchal values nor only stop women to contest for election but discourage and push back those efforts improve political outcomes for women.
Purdah
The purdah traditions observed by Pashtun communities in KP are so strict that many female candidates do not publish photographs on election posters. This obstacle of purdah tradition not just women candidate election makes ineffective but limited their mobility and freedom of campaign.
Lack of support from political parties
Another reason is the failure of political parties to confront social pressures in the most conservative regions of the province has been identified as a significant factor contributing to the lack of progress in women’s electoral participation. Particularly in the traditionally conservative areas of the province, political parties have been criticized for making compromises on issues related to women’s rights of contesting and campaigning in electoral process.
Religious clerics termed the system un-Islamic
While another reason is religious clerics and extreme right-wing political parties, so-called politicians with their extremist mindset are pushing women into the dark by sidelining them in the political sphere. They openly issued a fatwa against the women’s election campaign, declaring that “the women’s act of going from door to door to solicit votes is against sharia (Islamic laws).”
Also Read: First Hindu Woman to Contest in Elections 2024 from Buner Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)
Women’s failure to win elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can be linked to various challenges during elections campaign, deeply ingrained conservative and patriarchal values, the restrictive purdah tradition, a lack of support from political parties, and opposition from religious clerics who consider women’s political campaign as un-Islamic. Such barriers not only make it difficult for women to contest elections, but they also limit their overall political empowerment and representation throughout the region.