POLITICS WITHOUT WOMEN: PAKISTAN'S MISSING VOICES
Abstract
Increased decision-making power guaranteed women their human rights and equal participation with men in governance, as well as provides greater opportunities to influence matters that affect their lives within the community at large. Political empowerment is vital for achieving inclusive and effective equality, justice and rule of law. Though significant progress has been seen in some parts of the world, however, in developing countries women participation in the political sphere and in decision making institutions remains low. As in the case of Pakistan women are facing socio-cultural, economic, and religious hindrances, make their participation difficult in the political arena. This qualitative empirical study explores the victimization of women in political sphere in a highly gender-segregated society where women have disproportionate social status in a patriarchal culture and feudo-democracy. Besides,in Malaysia, female political representation has slowly shown progress as women are advancing towards roles of leadership. This study observed that to strengthen womenfolk’s stature, the government should protect the rights of women in all spheres of life. The most important phenomenon is that, it is political empowerment which motivates and mobilizes women to struggle for their rights in all terms whether moral, economical, legal or social etc.Once women are given the power of decision making in their lives, the process ofempowerment will be started.
