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Islamabad: For the first time in Pakistan's history, an increasing number of women contested in Monday's polls that also saw women coming out to vote in larger numbers - an encouraging trend signalling "freedom for women in politics".
While at a few polling stations, women were barred from casting their votes, in other areas they polled in large numbers with encouragement from local jirgas or assembly of elders.
In comparison to 1988, that only saw 27 women running for the general seats, this year the number increased by more than six times - to 168.
In 1988, four women were elected. This year, 13 will take oath in the National Assembly.
In addition, hundreds of women registered themselves to contest for the 60 reserved seats in the National Assembly and 128 in the provincial assemblies, while 116 women contested for the 577 general seats in the four provinces.
As a conservative Muslim nation with female literacy of only 35 per cent, the Pakistan Election Commission had set up separate polling booths for women to encourage them to come out to vote in larger numbers. Of the 80 million registered voters, about 36 million are women.
Waziristan and Kurran agency are two places where local jirgas had decided that women would not only be allowed but also encouraged to vote in the elections to elect the 10th National Assembly.
"Women in our society work more than men, though their work is different... we believe they have rights," said Haji Umer Mehsood, who voted in general elections in 1997 for the first time after adult franchise in the tribal areas directly ruled by the federal government.
"A week before the elections there was a jirga that said since the government is setting up women-only polling stations, the women should vote in the elections," Mehsood said.
He said though only 211 women voted in his constituency, he believed the numbers would increase in the future.
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