Political Patriarchy: An Obstruction in the Way of Optimum Performance by Women Legislators from KP

Abstract

Women constitute half of the global population, but their voice in the policy making bodies is absent.Pakistan under Pervez Musharraf introduced reserved seats for women at all three levels of the country's politic sin 2002. This study about the performance of women legislators of KP revealed that as opposed to the provincial assembly of KP, women's contribution to parliamentary business in the national assembly was better than men's.Moreover, the political patriarchy was found to hinder the participation of women in the decision-making.Women MNAs on reserved seats were not given funds rendering them unable to involve in community projects and develop vote banks and brighten their prospects of contesting elections in future. Women MPAs in the KP assembly received discretionary funds, but there have been allegations that their respective parties used it for political gains, and the money was spent in the constituencies of male members on general seats