Achieving Gender Equality in Public Offices in Pakistan Shirin M. Rai, Nafisa Shah and Aazar Ayaz Copy © 2007 United Nations Development Programme Pakistan Material in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, but acknowledgement is requested. Printed by PanGraphics (Pvt) Ltd. Islamabad-Pakistan This Publication is available from Gender Support Programme United Nations Development Programme PMSU (Programme Management Support Unit) House No. 12 Street No. 7 Sector F-7/2 House No. 4B, Street No. 29, Sector F-7/1 Islamabad - Pakistan Islamabad - Pakistan Website: www.un.org.pk/undp Tel: +92 - 51 2652551, 2653760 Fax: +92 - 51 2652551, Ext. 111 E-mail: [email protected] UNDP 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Boxes iv List of Tables v List of Abbreviations vi Acknowledgements vii Executive Summary viii INTRODUCTION 1 Research Framework 2 Research Methodologies 5 Chapter 1: QUOTAs IN CONTEXT: MAPPING THE NUMBERS GAME 1.1 The Progress of Pakistani Women 7 1.1.1 Girls in Schools 7 1.1.2 Health 9 1.1.3 Combating Violence Against Women 10 1.1.4 Women’s Representation in Public Life 11 1.2 Pakistan’s Political Economy and Governance – Issues for Gender Equality in Public Life 13 1.2.1 Women’s Contribution to the Economy 17 1.2.2 Pakistan’s PRSP and Addressing Gender Gaps 19 1.2.3 Mainstreaming Gender in Economic Analysis 20 1.3 Political Culture and Political Participation 21 1.4 Leadership and Gender Equality 22 Chapter 2: QUOTA PROVISIONs TO ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC OFFICE 2.1 Effectiveness of Quotas 25 2.2 Historical Context 26 2.2.1 Three Phases of the Quota Debate 27 2.2.2 Gender Reform Action Plan 28 2.3 Quota provisions 29 2.3.1 Parliamentary quotas 30 2.3.2 Provincial Assemblies Quota 32 2.3.3 Rural and Urban Local Government Quotas 32 2.3.4 Quotas in Political Parties? 35 2.3.5 Quotas in the Bureaucracy 36 ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC OFFICES IN PAKISTAN i TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 3: QUOTAs AS CATALYST: DO QUOTAs SHIFT ASSUMPTIONS? THE IMPACT OF QUOTAs ON PUBLIC LIFE 3.1 Perception of Quotas 39 3.1.1 The Necessity of quotas 39 3.2 Procedures 41 3.2.1 Working in Institutions 41 3.3 Accessibility 42 3.3.1 Women make Diligent Administrators 42 3.3.2 Women Get into Details 44 3.3.3 Women Put Emotions into their work 44 3.3.4 Women Connect the Personal and the Political Intimately 44 3.3.5 Quotas lead to conscientization of women 44 3.4 Issues Addressed 45 3.4.1 Women Raise Policy Issues and Legislation 46 3.4.2 Service Delivery 46 3.5 Competing for and Allocating Resources 47 3.5.1 ‘Women Only’ Focus 47 3.5.2 Struggles over Development Funds 48 3.5.3 Lack of Consultation 48 3.6 Satisfaction Levels with the System 48 3.6.1. Devolution 48 3.6.2 Party Politics 49 3.6.3 Interface between politicians and officials 50 3.6.4 Lack of Accountability 50 3.6.5 Male Bias 50 3.7 Opposition to Quotas 51 3.7.1 Meritocracy in Danger 51 3.7.2 Consolidating Elitism 51 3.7.3 Continuing male dominance undermines benefits of quotas 52 3.8 Leadership and Quotas 52 Chapter 4: CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE 4.1 Challenges for Women in Public Life 54 4.1.1 Poor MDG Indicators 54 4.1.2 Mobility 55 4.1.3 Lack of Access to and Transformation of Public Space 56 4.1.4 Continued Gender Segregation and Subordination 57 4.1.5 Lack of Support Infrastructure 58 ii ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC OFFICES IN PAKISTAN 4.1.6 Lack of Training 58 4.1.7 Difficult Political Environment 59 4.1.8 Family support 59 4.1.9 Ideologies of Honour and Shame 59 4.2 Leadership Challenges 60 Chapter 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC OFFICE: THE WAY FORWARD Priorities for the State 61 Equal opportunity policies 62 - Recruitment of women - Promotion of women - Gender equality training for both women and men - Extending the quota framework Ensuring security of public spaces 63 - Training security personnel - Supporting education campaigns Developing economic and political infrastructure and improving access to justice 64 - Strengthening institutions - Ensuring gender sensitive policy-making - Improving mobility of women Gender mainstreaming 65 Priorities for Non-State Actors 66 Political parties 66 Civil Society Groups 66 - Media campaigns - Legal strategies - Educational strategies - Strengthening advocacy networks Development Agencies 67 - Gender Mainstreaming - Supporting Civil Society Groups ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC OFFICES IN PAKISTAN iii LIST OF BOXES LIST OF BOXES Box 1: Pakistan's CEDAW Obligations 1 Box 2: UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGs) 2 Box 3: Gender Disparities in Education in Balochistan 8 Box 4: Gender, Livelihoods & Resources In South Asia 18 Box 5: Addressing IPRSP Gaps: Employment, Gender and Environment 19 Box 6: What is Gender Mainstreaming? 21 Box 7: Gendered Leadership 22 Box 8: Women's Political School 24 Box 9: Local Government at a Glance: Seats Distribution at the Three Levels 33 Box 10: Women's Protection Bill 2006 (November 16 2006) 42 Box 11: Gendered/Identities: “I am no gender. I am Nazim” 43 Box 12: Participating in Raising Issues at the National Level 46 Box 13: Women Councilors Providing Energy 47 Box 14: The Two Faces of Pakistani Legislation 49 Box 15: The Case of Sexual Harassment of Children in the MMA Government 50 Box 16: Social Profiles of Women in Politics in NWFP 52 Box 17: Women Bureaucrats: Challenges in Punjab 55 Box 18: Contexts of Participation : World Bank Country Gender Assessment (CGA) 56 Box 19: Female Pakistani minister shot dead for 'breaking Islamic dress code' 57 Box 20: Sexual Harassment in Parliament 60 Box 21: Work and Women's Empowerment 62 Box 22: Women's Protection Act 65 Box 23: Gender training strategies 66 Box 24: Succeeding Against All Odds: Rozan Khatoon, the Councillor on the Donkey Cart 68 iv ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC OFFICES IN PAKISTAN LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Assessing Effectiveness of Quotas 3 Table 2: The Interviewees: State Policy Makers/Actors 5 Table 3: Interviewees: Non-State Policy Makers/Actors 6 Table 4: Net Enrolment Rate At The Middle Level (Age 10 . 12) - By Province and Region 7 Table 5: Adult Literacy Rate 8 Table 6: Priorities in Public Spending 9 Table 7: Key Indicators: Antenatal Care: Tetanus Toxoid (% Married Women Aged 15-49) 9 Table 8: Women in Power and Decision making in South Asia 11 Table 9: Women Elected at the Local Level Through Reserved Seats in Pakistan 12 Table 10: Women Workers in the Organized Sector 12 Table 11: Pakistan's Human Development Index 2004 13 Table 12: Millennium Development Goals : Achieving Targets 15 Table 13: Women's Economic Activity Rate for South Asian countries 17 Table 14: Contribution of women in total earned income 17 Table 15: Women's Status in Employment Pakistan (percent of total) 18 Table 16: Gender Reform Action Plan 28 Table 17: Quota Provision in Pakistan 29 Table 18: Women's Representation in National Assembly (Number of Seats) 30 Table 19: Women's Representation in Senate (Number of Seats) 31 Table 20: Women on Top? Women in Parliamentary and Governmental Positions 31 Table 21: Women's Representation in Provincial Assemblies (Number of Seats) 32 Table 22: Statement showing number of vacant seats 34 Table 23: Statistics for Women Candidates in Local Elections, 2005 35 Table 24: Pay Scales and Gender Imbalance in Federal Employment 37 ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC OFFICES IN PAKISTAN v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ANP Awami National Party CDD Community Development Department CGA Country Gender Assessment DCO District Coordination Officer DSP Decentralization Support Program DTCE Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment EDO Executive District Officer FANA Federally Administered Northern Areas FATA Federally Administered Tribal Areas FGD’s Focus Group Discussions FPSC Federal Public Service Commission FWCW Fourth World Conference on Women GDI Gender Development Index GDP Gross Domestic Product GEM Gender Empowerment Measure GOP Government of Pakistan GRAP Gender Reform Action Plan GSP Gender Support Programme HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ILO International Labor Organization LG Local government MDG Millennium Development Goals MDGR Millennium Development Goal Report MMA Mutihidda Majlis-e-Amal MPA Member of Provincial Assembly MQM Mutahidda Qoumi Movement NHDR National Human Development Report NGO Non Governmental Organization NWFP North-West Frontier Province PCO Public Sector Organization PIDE Pakistan Institute of Development Economics PIHS Pakistan Integrated Household Survey PMLN Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz PMLQ Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam PoA Programme of Action PPC Pakistan Penal Code PPPP Pakistan Muslim League Parliamentarian PRSP Poverty Reduction strategy Paper PSLMS Pakistan Social And Living Standards Measurement Survey SHG Self-Help Groups SP Superintendent of Police UC Union Councilor UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund WPS Women's Political School W3P Women's Political Participation Project vi ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC OFFICES IN PAKISTAN ACKNOWLEDGMENTS UNDP Pakistan, under its Gender Support Programme, commissioned and supported the writing of this report. In doing so, UNDP Pakistan underlined its commitment to achieving gender equality in public life of the country. I would particularly like to thank Faiza Effendi, Sajid Baloch and Rabia Khattak for making my preparatory visit to Islamabad possible and so productive. The comments I received from the team were extremely useful in finalizing the draft of the report, as were the comments from Shaheen Sardar Ali and Amy Mazur.