Baseline Survey for Strengthening Women Parliamentarians in Pakistan for Effective Government
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. Project Overview .................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1. Need Assessment Objectives ......................................................................................................... 2 2.2. Methodology & Demographical Information......................................................................... 4 3. Women’s Involvement in Decision Making Processes .............................................................. 7 3.1. Women’s Involvement in Government ..................................................................................... 7 3.2. An Overview of Select Women and Leadership Initiatives ............................................. 8 4. Media and Leadership Trainings ................................................................................................... 12 4.1. Capacity Assessment of Partner Training Organizations ............................................. 12 4.2. Media & Women Leadership Trainings: Potential, Focus & Strengthening ........ 14 5. Media and Effective Political Leadership Skills: Current Status ........................................ 17 5.1. Provincial Women MPAs .............................................................................................................. 17 5.2. District Women Councilors ......................................................................................................... 20 6. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................. 25 7. Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................... 28 BASE LINE SURVEY FOR STRENGTHENING WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS IN PAKISTAN 1. Introduction Pakistan is culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse. Economic and social class, tribe, castes, clans further contribute to disparities in society. Culture, custom and tradition are entrenched with patriarchal ideologies. Politically, Pakistan has seen much political instability, since its independence in 1947. All these factors have negatively impacted in the flourishing of indigenous democratic practices and traditions, including mainstreamed participation of women in politics and critical decision making processes. In 2000, under General Musharraf, political and electoral reforms provided women structured opportunities to have their own independent political voices, by the reservation of approximately 17% of seats for women in the senate, national and provincial assemblies, and 33% in local government. From 2000-2006, various initiatives lead by the Government, bilateral, multilateral and civil society organizations have focused on improving the technical skill and capacity of elected women to ensure both their qualitative and quantitative involvement in political decision making. Since 2001, research and documentation has been undertaken to document the performance of women in politics. Subsequently, since 2008, donor organizations have also supported women in politics by focusing on women’s wings of political parties and strengthening the capacities of women parliamentarians. After the 18 th Amendment, (devolution of central power to the provinces) the relationship of provinces with the federal government is being redefined both administratively and strategically across sectors. Respective roles of the provincial assemblies in terms of policy formulation and legislation are also being revisited. Having a significant representation of national and provincial parliamentary bodies, there is potential for women to have a strong voice in the political process from the district to the national level. The Search for Common Ground’s (SFCG) project Strengthening Women Parliamentarians in Pakistan for Effective Government aims to support current women parliamentarians (provincial level) and aspiring women councilors (at local level) for effective leadership. Through effective and transformative leadership training in political advocacy, coalition and consensus building, SFCG and its partners will seek to strengthen women‘s voices to better represent the interests of their constituencies across Pakistan. Additionally, media programming will work to shift attitudes toward women‘s participation in government and create greater awareness of issues effecting women. SFCG intends to support elected provincial women parliamentarians, aspiring local and provincial women political workers by contributing to developing their capacity and skills to be effective leaders and stakeholders. This report provides a baseline of information for training needs of these women political workers for SFCG to design a project for the skill and capacity development of women parliamentarians. Page 1 BASE LINE SURVEY FOR STRENGTHENING WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS IN PAKISTAN 2. Project Overview This study employs both primary and secondary research methods for the analysis of the current situation of elected women representatives. The study had two major components. The first component focused on assessing the capacity of elected women representatives at the provincial and district levels, while also attempting to assess whether these representatives felt they were empowered within their party platforms at the decision making level, leading to increased potential leadership of women in the future. The second component of the study looks at the capacity and skill set of these elected women representatives in terms of communication skills, perceptions of the term ‘conflict’ and their understanding and use of various types of media. Training needs will be assessed from the data collected to contribute to the development of trainings to hone communication skills, increased use of media and understanding of relevant issues for elected women representatives to be effective and communicative leaders. The media has played an important role in the public projection of elected women representatives and remains to be an effective integration tool. In this context, the efficacy and effectiveness of trainers and training organization is also important, in order to gauge their professional skill in terms of contextual understanding and delivery tools for communication. 2.1. Need Assessment Objectives Specific objectives of the research include the: 1. Review of secondary data to provide an overview of the current status of provincial women parliamentarians and female political worker’s involvement in decision making process, with the type and level of their involvement. 2. Collection of primary data on the immediate leadership skills required for provincial women parliamentarians and female political workers to play their role effectively. 3. Collection of primary data on the current skills of provincial women parliamentarians and female political workers on dealing with issues on media. 4. Assess the current capacity of trainers/facilitators from national women’s organizations to conduct trainings at provincial and district level to equip women parliamentarians and female political workers with leadership, advocacy, skills, etc. The following table lays out the landscape of specific tasks mode of primary and secondary data collection. Table 1 Mode of Data Collection Specific Tasks Primary Secondary Interview FGD Provide overview of Findings of current status of UNDP projects provincial women W3P, Women parliamentarians and Political Schools, female political SDPD and GRAP worker’s & NDI political involvement in party training decision making programme process, with the type and level of their involvement Page 2 BASE LINE SURVEY FOR STRENGTHENING WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS IN PAKISTAN Mode of Data Collection Specific Tasks Primary Secondary Interview FGD Provide primary Structured Select sample by 1. Naeem Mirza, CEO, information on the survey drawing Aurat Foundation immediate focusing reference from 2. Farzana Bari, leadership skills elected women 2008 Election Director Gender required for at provincial Report of women Studies Department, provincial women assemblies. contested Quaid-e-Azam parliamentarians and constituencies University female political Ex-women 3. Fauzia Saeed, Ex workers to play their district Consolidate member NCSW role effectively. councilors previous data to 4. Musarrat Qadeem, Provide primary Through TR’s co-relate with PAIMAN information on the network of current primary 5. Shahnaz Wazir Ali, current skills of local focal data to arrive at MNA provincial women Organizations empirical 6. Shazia Abbasi, parliamentarians and evidence Media Expert female political 7. Ijaz Haider, workers on dealing Journalist with issues on media 8. Daniyal Aziz, Ex- Chairperson NRB 9. Marvi Sirmed, Project Manger, Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy Programme (SDPD) 10. Sandra Houston, Representative National Democratic Institute (NDI) Provide information SFCG to share SFCG to arrange on the current data of partner for / agree with capacity of organizations. partner trainers/facilitators organizations to from national women Training provide trainers organizations to information to be to hold a FGD in conduct trainings at collected from Islamabad provincial and the NDI district level to equip women parliamentarians and female political