Women seize the right to vote in provincial polls of ex-FATA
July 22, 2019
Political parties have finally woken up to the need to ensure greater women political participation in elections, especially after the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) mandated that for results to be considered, a constituency must have at least 10 per cent female voters.
The newly merged tribal districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been known for their conservative attitude towards women. In the 2018 general ballot, two constituencies of the tribal belt had less than 10 per cent women participation.
But, unexpectedly, women turned out in sizeable numbers on Saturday to cast their votes for the 16 provincial assembly seats. The lowest turn out was recorded in a constituency of North Waziristan, 12 per cent, and the highest in a constituency of Kurram, 44 per cent.
Here is the break down of each constituency:
