Islamabad, April 12 (NationPress) The representation of women in Pakistan's Parliament is largely reliant on quotas. Currently, only one female representative has been elected through a general seat, while the majority have obtained their positions via reserved seats. Leadership roles, including Chairman and Opposition leader, are still predominantly held by men, highlighting a significant shortcoming from political parties, according to a report.

A recent analysis from the Free and Fair Election Network indicates that female Senators contributed to 20% of the Senate's agenda in the 2025-2026 Parliamentary year, exceeding their 18% share of seats, as noted in an editorial by Pakistan's prominent newspaper, Dawn.

Dawn's editorial states, "The Fafen report illustrates that women in Pakistan's Parliament have demonstrated their skills, diversity, and dedication. The pivotal issue is not their capability to perform, but whether the political framework will permit them to take on leadership roles."

Women in Parliament have gone beyond their numerical representation, effectively engaging in various policy discussions spanning economic management, national security, and taxation.

When assessed on a per capita basis, female legislators outperformed their male peers, presenting an average of 12 agenda items each, compared to 11 by their male counterparts.

The legislative agenda of women lawmakers challenges the notion that they only focus on 'women's issues', with over half of their agenda addressing national matters. This suggests that if given the opportunity, women parliamentarians can be both present and impactful contributors.

However, the report also underscores the limitations of this advancement. The Senate's Gender Responsiveness Score is just 0.9, indicating that women's legislative proposals garner less attention than those of their male colleagues. Furthermore, a significant number of female Senators are categorized as having 'rarely spoken' in plenary debates. A deeper issue, as highlighted by Dawn's editorial, lies beyond the Senate chamber.

The overwhelming reliance on quotas for women's representation in Parliament persists. Of the current representatives, only one woman has secured a general seat; the remainder has entered via reserved quotas. Leadership roles continue to be male-dominated, marking a failure of the political parties. These parties control the flow of power by primarily offering general seat tickets to men, thereby limiting women's political advancement and confining them to the peripheries of electoral politics, despite their contributions within legislative bodies. This exposes a paradox: women are deemed capable of legislating, scrutinizing, and representing but are not allowed to contest and win elections.

To address this imbalance in Pakistan, reform must commence at the party level. Political parties should actively endorse women as candidates for general seats, which necessitates investment in candidate development, fair ticket distribution, and pathways to leadership within the party.