CHANGING PATTERN OF WOMEN POLITICS IN TRADITIONAL SOCIETY: A CASE STUDY OF DISTRICT MARDAN, PAKISTAN (2001-2014)

Abstract

The core objective of the research is to provide a detailed analysis of changing pattern of women politics in traditional society of Mardan, Pakistan, in the last three general elections of 2002, 2008, and 2013. The three prominent political rights of women’s participation in state-affairs, i.e. right to vote, right to launch elections campaigns, and right to contest elections, are thoroughly discussed. It has also highlighted the comparative analysis of these three general elections with the general elections of the 20th century. In order to strengthen base of the study, women’s political participation was also discussed in the Pre-and-Post Partition periods of Pakistan. Feminism was adopted as a theoretical framework with its sub-theory ‘Feminist Political Theory’ as more relevant to data analysis. Although, feminism seems as indifferent to Pakistan but it has established its roots from the very first day. Various women’s empowerment movements have been discussed which formed throughout Pakistan’s political history. The study has elaborated the encouraging examples of women’s political participation in the general elections of 2002, 2008, and especially 2013. The study has to analyze those factors which have encouraged women politics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in general, and in district Mardan, in particular, where traditions ridden environment has always remained a big hurdle in women political participation. This research is unique in two different perspectives: at first, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Mardan are Pakhtun’s dominated regions where people have their well-established social codes of conduction called “Pakhtunwali” and that Pakhtun’s women have started participation in state affairs yet. Secondly, the region is passing through turmoil of “War on Terror”, militancy and Talibanization where women were being threatened for their social, economic and political contributions. In spite of all these unfavorable developments, it was observed that more women contested elections on general seats in 21st century and especially the general elections of 2013, as compare to the general elections of 20th century. The episodic participation of Badam Zari, from NA-44, Tribal Areas-IX, and Mst. Nusrat Begum, from NA-34, Lower Dir, standout conspicuously. Similarly, a good number of women have contested elections for NA and PA, on party tickets as well as independently. Under the LFO of 2002, General Pervaiz Musharraf increased the seats of all legislative bodies. Similarly, he also increased women’s reserved seats to 17% in all state’s legislatures. For the first time, women were given reserved seats in the Senate (upper house of the Parliament). The 12th Parliament witnessed ever-highest number of female politicians in legislatures. The un-natural death of Benazir Bhutto gave an alarming situation to Pakistani women but they could not lose the courage. The 13th Parliament was more empowered with women prestigious role and position as Speaker of NA, Deputy Speaker of Sindh Assembly, a female minister presented annual budget (for the first time in Pakistan’s political history), appointed as ambassador etc. In the current Parliament (2013-18) and especially the ever-first female Deputy Speaker of KP Assembly is a hallmark of women’s political participation in a traditional society. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been one of the most politically active region of Pakistan, whose electorates have been giving opportunity of governance to different shades of political parties. A closer look to its electoral history reveals the truth in different elections, especially 2002, 2008, and 2013, that electorates of the KP have voted on the basis of nationalism, Islamism, Pukhtoon-nationalism, and in 2013 on the basis of ‘Change’. Mardan is the second most populous district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and reflects women’s rich political participation in the political history of Pakistan. The unique dimension of the results of general elections 2002, 2008, and 2013 dis-mantle the myth, nationally as well as internationally, that either women are not ready or un-willing to come to mainstream politics or not yet able to shoulder the responsibilities of electoral politics at constituency, provincial or national level. However, gender equality and political participation of women, with equal footings, with men are still globally desirable. To bring a change in the political structure of a society, in which centuries old traditions and patterns are practiced, will take time as Pakistani society and especially the Pakhtun dominated society of District Mardan is practicing with globally renowned social codes of conduction called “Pakhtunwali”, is comparatively more traditional one. But a good point is that this process of political change, change of women’s political participation in the state-affairs, has already started in the traditional society of Mardan, Pakistan.