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 e-Newsletter |
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I. Gender Vol - III Edition - II II. Democracy Watch April 2008 III. Governance at Large Download: PDF Version
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Gender |
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Women
& Politics |
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Women Ministers in New Federal and Provincial Cabinets of Pakistan Women have been given considerable representation in the Federal and Provincial cabinets of Pakistan. Following are the new women Ministers and their respective portfolios:
Federal
Cabinet
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Provincial Cabinets |
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Women Diplomats of Pakistan Dominate European Capitals Whether
it is
the outcome of a calculated effort to show to the world that Pakistan
is a country of “enlightened moderates”, which has though now become a
slogan of the past, or a demonstration for gender equality, our
ambassadors in the influential European capitals are predominantly
women. In the political arena, Pakistan is already the first-ever
Muslim country to have produced a woman prime minister Shaheed Benazir
Bhutto, who was elected twice to rule the country as well as a woman
speaker of the National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza ñ but perhaps not
many know that Islamabad presently has nine women ambassadors in the
influential capitals of Europe. It is argued that there is no other
country perhaps in the world matching Pakistan as far as the number of
women ambassadors to different countries in the European capitals is
concerned. In London, which is the most important capital in Europe,
Pakistan's ambassador posted there is Dr Maleeha Lodhi, who is a
non-career diplomat or can also be termed a political appointee. Once a
journalist, Maleeha has enjoyed such a long stint of ambassadorial
assignments under President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in the two
most important capitals of the world ñ Washington and London ñ which no
career diplomat can ever dream of. Before the imposition of the
military rule on Oct 12, 1999, Maleeha had already served one term as
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States. But at that time she was
deputed there by the democratic government of Benazir Bhutto. During
those days, she had a close association with Benazir Bhutto. After the
imposition of Martial Law in 1999, Maleeha was picked up by the then
military ruler and now retired General President Pervez Musharraf as
Pakistanís ambassador to the US where she served from 1999-2002 and
became the longest-ever serving ambassador to the US. She was also
conferred Hilal-e-Imtiaz Presidential Award for Public Service by
Musharraf.
In 2003, under a fresh contract she was appointed the country’s ambassador to the UK where she is still continuing. Except Maleeha, all the other women ambassadors in Europe are career diplomats i.e. belonging to the Foreign Service of Pakistan. These include Naghmana A Hashmi in Ireland; Fauzia Sana in Portugal; Tasnim Aslam, the first-ever Foreign Office spokeswoman, ambassador to Italy; Humaira Hasan in Spain; Asma Anisa in France; Aysha Riaz in Switzerland; Fauzia Abbas in Denmark; and Seema Illahi Baloch in Poland. There are not many in the Foreign Office offering comment on the performance of these women ambassadors. However, the only woman political appointee, Maleeha, is believed to be the most popular. Maleeha, for being unlike the routine Foreign Office Baboos, is said to have developed extensive links with the Pakistani community living there. While a considerable number of women ambassadors are already occupying major capitals in Europe, some senior women officers in the Foreign Ministry are waiting for their turn to head the country's foreign missions. Fauzia Nasreen, who is a BS-22 officer of the Foreign Service of Pakistan and is presently Director General Foreign Service Academy, is one of such aspirants. For being in BS-22, it is said, she would not be offered an ordinary capital. Raana Raheen, presently a directing staff in the National Defence College, is also to be posted abroad. Rifaat Iqbal, presently ambassador in Harare, according to a source, is also looking for a posting in Europe. Australia Gets its First Woman Governor-General Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on April 13 named Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce as Australia’s next Governor-General, the first woman to act as the British queen’s representative in the country. Mr. Rudd, who returned to Canberra from an 18-day world tour during which he met Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace, said the monarch had approved Bryce on his recommendation. The Prime Minister said that Ms. Bryce — a lawyer, academic and former federal sex discrimination commissioner — “captures the spirit of modern Australia”. He said the 65-year-old grandmother, who grew up in a small town in Mr. Rudd’s home state of Queensland, had demonstrated a strong commitment to rural Australia, the rights of women and Aborigines. Mr. Rudd said he was pleased that a woman would serve as governor-general, a post created under the constitution in 1901 and a person who, as the monarch’s representative, has the power to dismiss the government. Ms. Bryce, who will replace Vietnam war veteran Maj-Gen Michael Jeffery when he retires in September, said her appointment marked a great day for Australian women. Mr. Rudd sidestepped the issue of whether the next Governor-General, who like her predecessors will carry out largely ceremonial duties, would be the nation’s last if Australia cuts ties with the monarch and becomes a republic. Australia’s Governor-General has the power to appoint a Prime Minister in the event of a hung parliament after an election, or dismiss the leader if he or she loses the confidence of lawmakers or acts unlawfully. While also nominally the commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force, the Governor-General in practice acts on the advice of the government. Zapatero Appoints Spain's First Cabinet with Female Majority Spain's re-elected Socialist Party Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has broken his own record for sexual equality by appointing a predominantly female cabinet for the first time in the country's history. His nine female ministers not only form a majority in a 17-strong cabinet, but also occupy heavyweight positions, including for the first time the Defence Ministry. Carme Chacon, 37, a Catalan, moves from a short stint in charge of the housing in the previous government to control the Defence portfolio, amid mounting concern over the role of Spanish troops in Afghanistan. Ms Chacon, who is expecting a baby, was a key activist in securing Mr Zapatero's surprise victory as Socialist Party leader in 2000, and is considered a member of his inner circle. In addition to her ministerial duties, she is expected to form a bridge between ruling socialists in Madrid and Catalonia's regional government. One of Mr Zapatero's most influential ministers, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, consolidates her position as Deputy Prime Minister with increased responsibilities. Other experienced women include Magdalena Alvarez, who continues at Public Works and must solve Catalonia's water crisis; Mercedes Cabrera at Education, and Elena Salgada at Public Administrations, who must settle rivalries between the autonomous regions and Madrid. Mr Zapatero, who was sworn in as Prime Minister before King Juan Carlos, made history four years ago by appointing equal number of men and women as ministers. This time around he has also underlined his commitment to gender equality by giving women the numerical edge in the cabinet and also creating an Equality Ministry. This is to be headed by Spain's youngest ever minister, Bibiana Aido, 31, a former regional MP for Andalusia and ex-director of the region's Flamenco Agency. However, the healthy female quota in the cabinet has not gone down well with everyone. Mr Zapatero's choices were promptly criticized in barely veiled sexist terms by a conservative commentator who referred contemptuously in ABC newspaper to "ZP's battalion of inexperienced seamstresses". Male heavyweights remain: the veteran Pedro Solbes at Economy; Miguel Angel Moratinos at Foreign Affairs; and as Interior Minister, the old socialist fox Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, who has earned the confidence of Basque politicians of all stripes in countering armed Eta separatists. |
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Women
& Economics |
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Dr Faiza vows to Generate Jobs through Cottage Industry Pakistan People’s Party MPA on the women
reserved seat, Dr Faiza Rashid has vowed to generate employment
opportunities by establishing home-based industries and providing
training to vulnerable sections of the society inside their homes. She
expressed concern over the existing condition of her district, saying
that majority of people particularly women had been exploited. The
previous governments did nothing practical to resolve their problems.
The MPA said the government is trying to repatriate Afghan refugees
from various camps in Peshawar but majority of them had shifted to
Haripur, adding eight refugees camps had been established in Haripur.
“The presence and influx of fresh refugees to my district has
multiplied the miseries of the local population and crime rate.
High-Powered Women to Fight Poverty A high-powered alliance of women from government, faith-based organizations, advocacy groups and Hollywood will launch a major drive on April 13 to help impoverished women and girls around the world. The alliance, which has the backing of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Queen Noor of Jordan and former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright among other luminaries, will unveil new fundraising commitments of $1.481 billion in the US capital this weekend. The Women, Faith and Development Alliance (WFDA) says the funds that have been raised so far will cumulatively benefit one billion poor women and girls around the globe. Laura Bush, wife of US President George W Bush, Kim Campbell, the former Prime Minister of Canada, and Hollywood actress Ashley Judd also support the alliance. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is one of the biggest supporters so far and has made a commitment of 500 million dollars over several years to address maternal mortality and to stop violence against women. Islamic Relief has pledged 43 million dollars to improve education, basic health care and water access for over one million women and girls. Catholic Relief Services and World Vision have also signed up to the inter-faith grouping that is being supported by US healthcare products giant Johnson & Johnson and other large corporations. The women and girl-focused campaign, like other global anti-poverty drives, faces daunting challenges. UN figures show that women represent 70 percent of the world’s poor, own just one percent of titled land, and make up two-thirds of the world’s illiterate people. Experts estimate there are between 1.0 and 1.2 billion people around the world who survive on less than one dollar a day, many of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa. |
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Books/Reports/Articles
on Gender |
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State of Women in Balochistan Following article by Sanaullah Balcoh was published in The News. The writer highlights the deteriorating state of women in the spheres of education, health and employment in the Province. In spite of being commonly liberal, politically conscious, and culturally well-endowed, resource-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's least-developed province with high rates of infant and maternal mortality, poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition. Although are suffering due to the inflexible culture, customs and practices throughout Pakistan women, there is a larger story to tell about the state-sponsored discrimination against women in Balochistan. From the beginning Islamabad has outrageously tried to cover up its ill-conceived and discriminatory policies by blaming the Baloch themselves for their appalling state. However, facts and findings on health, education, communication, political empowerment and economic development clearly indicate that human development in Balochistan has been deliberately ignored by successive central governments, to gain strategic benefits out of the vast and geostrategic location of the province and its immense resources. Women are discriminated against in the country at large. But in Balochistan they are discriminated against by state. They have no access to enabling opportunities required for the empowerment of women in any modern and civilized society. The endless military operation, internal displacement, disappearances, intimidation and the prolonged Baloch-Islamabad conflict are hitting hard the already deprived women in the province. Central government discriminatory policy is not only resulting in slowdown of gender empowerment but its effecting overall social and economic development process in province. The most devastating consequence of underdevelopment in any society is a high fatality rate. Balochistan has highest infant and maternal mortality ratio (MMR), compared to that many Asian and African underdeveloped countries. For example, the MMR in Karachi is 281 compared to 673 in rural Balochistan. Pakistan's chief planning health officer told IRIN in June 2007 that "the maternal mortality ratio is 650 per 100,000 live births in Balochistan - nearly two times the national average," The increasing rate of preventable maternal mortality is a symptom of the larger social injustice of discrimination against women and violation of women's human rights. Thousands of avoidable maternal deaths each year indicate the government's unfaithfulness to domestic and international laws. The expert has indicated the basic lack of safe drinking water and sanitation as major cause of infant and maternal mortality in the province. The Pakistan Living Standard Measurement Survey (PSLM), 2004-5, identifies sharp a interprovincial disparity with regard to access to safe drinking water. Reports state that 52 percent of the population in Balochistan uses wells and open ponds for drinking water, compared to three per cent in Punjab, 13 percent in Sindh and 35 percent in NWFP. Balochistan's women played a vital political and human rights role during the current conflict in the province. The Baloch Women's Panel very bravely organized a number of protests, rallies and sit-ins in front of the press clubs in Quetta, Karachi and Turbat against arbitrary arrests and for the release of missing Baloch activists. Interprovincial gender inequality in employment sector is unspeakable. According to State Bank of Pakistan's 2005-06 report Balochistan and the NWFP have the highest rate of female unemployment rate of 27 percent and 29 percent, compared to seven percent and 20 percent for Punjab and Sindh. A large number of women's vocational and training centres in Punjab make women more capable and confident to qualify for market jobs. Punjab has 111 women's vocational institutes, however Balochistan has only one. Due to the lack of girls' schools in the province only 23 percent rural girls are lucky enough to be enrolled in primary as compared to 47 percent in rural Punjab. In fact, acute poverty at the margin appeared to be hitting hardest at women. As long as women's access to healthcare, education, and training remain limited, prospects for improved social status of female population will remains bleak. The Social Policy Development Centre 2005 report discovered that the percentage of the population living in a high degree of deprivation stands at 88 percent in Balochistan, 51 percent in the NWFP, 49 per cent in Sindh and 25 percent in Punjab. According to poverty-related reports the percentage of the population living below the poverty line stands at 63 percent in Balochistan, 26 percent in Punjab, 29 percent in the NWFP and 38 percent in Sindh. No development policy could succeed unless it is based on the needs and participation of people in the process. In Balochistan's case, what people need is socio-economic development, political empowerment, clean drinking water, electricity, practical education, basic health facilities, proper roads and infrastructure connecting rural towns to the main centres. But central government is doing the opposite. The Baloch are subject to extreme discrimination. No state in the present era singles out its citizen on the basis of region and ethnicity. The regime in Islamabad must respect Baloch rights and stop its systematic discriminatory policies. Women in Muslim World Dr Farrukh Saleem, in his article ‘Women in Muslim World,” commented on the situation of women in Muslim-majority countries by referring to Global Gender Gap (GGG) Report. Muslims
do not
treat women right. According to the Global Gender Gap (GGG) report, the
planet's ten-worst offenders are: Yemen, Chad, Pakistan, Nepal, Saudi
Arabia, Benin, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and Oman. Of the ten, nine are
Muslim-majority states. At the other end of the spectrum, the planet's
best countries for women to live in are: Sweden, Norway, Finland,
Ireland, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany, Denmark, Ireland and Spain.
Not even one of the top-ten is a Muslim-majority state. GGG collected
data from a total of 128 countries to develop a comprehensive,
scientific index. The GGG Index is based on four different sub-indices
-- namely, economic participation, educational attainment, political
empowerment and health -- while each of the sub-indices has half a
dozen components. Under economic participation, five of the
worst-offenders are: Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Oman and Bahrain.
Under educational attainment, the worst-offenders are: Chad, Yemen,
Benin and Pakistan. The best: Denmark, United Kingdom, Australia,
France and Belgium. Under political empowerment the worst are: Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt and Iran. The best: Sweden,
Finland, Norway, Iceland and Spain.
For women, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan comes out as one the worst of countries to live in; there are only two other countries worse off than is Pakistan -- Yemen and Chad. Under economic participation, Pakistan is ranked 126 out of 128. Educational attainment, 123 out of 128. Health, 121 out of 128. Political empowerment, 43 out of 128. Surprisingly, Pakistani women are worse off this year than they were last year. Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah, or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is ranked really low, too. Under economic participation, Saudi Arabia is ranked 127 out of 128. Educational attainment, 87 out of 128. Health, 60 out of 128. Political empowerment, 128 out of 128. Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah, or the Republic of Yemen is worse than both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Under economic participation, Yemen is ranked 128 out of 128. Educational attainment, 127 out of 128. Political empowerment, 127 out of 128. Intriguingly, there is a correlation between poverty and status of women. Some of the worst offenders are also the poorest of the poor (with the exception of oil wealth). Most of the Arab world is far below global averages and conditions, unfortunately, are actually deteriorating -- not improving. Yes, there are a few exceptions. The UAE, for instance, has invested massive resources into educating its women. Bahrain now has a woman parliamentarian. |
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Formation of Provincial Government
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About 353 members
comprising 165
members of the PML-N, 106 of the PPP, 86 of the PML-Q, two of the MMA,
four of
the PML-Functional and two independent members took oath at the
inaugural
session. Outgoing Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Afzal Sahi in the
opening
session of the new Provincial Assembly allowed, after resistance of
about one
hour the PML-N and the PPP, to table two resolutions, paying rich
tributes to
Benazir Bhutto and condemning the October 12, 1999 military coup of
Pervez
Musharraf. Earlier, lawmakers refused to
take oath till the outgoing speaker assured them that they were being
administered oath under the 1973 Constitution. A total of 353 members
took oath
from the speaker, who congratulated them on becoming part of the House.
He said
the new assembly should complete its tenure. Rana Iqbal read out
PML-N's
resolution that the session pays homage to the people of
government
to
demand the federal government unearth the facts as to the killing
of Benazir and carry out the investigation into her killing through the
United Nations.Speaker and Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly elected
Rana
Muhammad Iqbal as Speaker and Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan as Deputy
Speaker on
April 11. The newly-elected Speaker
Punjab
Assembly, Rana Muhammad Iqbal son of Rana Phool Muhammad Khan was born
in Phool
Nagar, Karnal district of India, in 1944. Rana Iqbal currently residing
in
Lambe Jageer, tehsil Pattoki of Kasur district, won the general
election-2008
from PP-184, Kasur-10. He received primary education from
The newly-elect Punjab Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, son of Rana Abdur Rahim Khan was born in Chief Minister 14-Member The PML-N ministers and their
portfolios are: Rana
Sanaullah Khan
–
Law and Parliamentary Affairs
Malik
Nadeem Kamran
–
Food Ahmad
Ali Oulakh
– Agriculture
Mujtaba
Shaujaur Rehman
–
Excise and Taxation Iqbal
Chunnar
–
Special Education Chaudhry
Abdul Ghafoor
– Trade
and Commerce Kamran
Michael
– Minorities The PPP ministers and their portfolios
are:
Tanveer
Ashraf Kaira
–
Finance
Haji
Ishaq
– Revenue Neelam
Jabbar
–
Population Welfare Ashraf
Sohna
–
Labour and Human Resource
Ehsanuddin
Qureshi
–
Religious Affairs and Auqaf No portfolio has yet been allocated to PPP ministers, Tanveerul Islam and Farooq Yousuf Ghurki. |
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Formation of Provincial Government
– Sindh |
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The first session of the
new Sindh
Assembly unanimously passed three resolutions presented by the Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) on 5 April after swearing in 158 newly elected
MPAs. Senior PPP leaders Nisar Ahmed
Khuhro, Syed
Qaim Ali Shah and Pir Mazharul Haq jointly presented the first
resolution,
saying that the Sindh government should approach the Federal Government
for an
investigation into the late Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. Qaim Ali
Shah
presented the second resolution, and asked the Sindh government to
approach the
federal government, seeking an apology from the National Assembly for
the “judicial
murder” of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Tariq Aarain and Jam Tamachi jointly
presented
the third resolution, saying that in light of the services Benazir
Bhutto had
rendered for democracy, Nawabshah district should be renamed as Shaheed
Benazir
Bhutto district.
Speaker and Deputy Speaker Chief Minister Sindh Cabinet The new cabinet includes four women ministers, two ministers from minority members and one from the Awami National Party (ANP). It comprises: Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq – Senior Minister with portfolios of Education and Literacy, Dr.
Zulfiqar Ali Mirza
–
Home,
Prisons, Syed
Ali Nawaz Shah
–
Agriculture
Manzoor
Hussain Wassan
–
Works and Services
Jam
Saifullah Khan Dharejo
– Irrigation
and Power
Murad
Ali Shah
–
Revenue and Relief
excluding
L.U.
Mir
Nadir Ali Magsi
– Food
Agha
Siraj Khan Durani
–
Local Government Muhammad
Ayaz Soomro
–
Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs
Muhammad
Sajid Jokhio
–
Zakat, Ushr and Religious
Affairs
Akhtar
Hussain Jadoon
–
Transport Jam
Mahtab Hussain Dahar
–
Population Welfare
Amir
Nawab
–
Labour
Abdul
Haque Bhurt
– Livestock
Mukesh
Kumar
–
Excise and Taxation Ms.
Sassui Palijo
– Culture
and Tourism Ms.
Shazia Mari
– Information
Ms.
Nargis N.D. Khan
–
Social Welfare
Ms.
Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto
–
Women Development Abdul
Jalil Memon
– Cooperation |
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| The Pakistan People’s
Party and
Muttahida Qaumi Movement have finalized a power-sharing formula, on
April 30,
under which the MQM will join the Sindh government with 13
ministers, one
adviser and one special assistant. With the induction of the MQM
ministers, the
strength of the Sindh cabinet would reach 38, including four advisers.
The
portfolios allotted to MQM ministers include: health, industries and
commerce,
information technology, environment and alternate energy, sports, youth
affairs, rural development, public health engineering, Auqaf, bureau of
supply
and prices and human rights. Two portfolios are yet to be decided. |
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Formation of Provincial Government
– NWFP |
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Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti is the 21st Chief Minister of NWFP, who took on the on April 02, 2008. The 37 years old Hoti was born on February 5, 1971 in Mardan. He is the son of Former Federal Minister Azam Khan Hoti. He passed his intermediate exam from historic Aitichison College Lahore in 1990 and did his graduation from Edwards College Peshawar in 1992. He is the grand son of late Khudai Khidmatgar and right hand man of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan commonly known as “Baacha Khan”. He is the nephew of ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan as such late Khan Abdul Wali Khan was his maternal grand father. He started his political carrier as ANP organizer in Mardan city. Later he became the Senior Vice President of the party in Mardan District. He was inducted as joint secretary general in the Provincial Cabinet of the party and later became Provincial Deputy Secretary General of the party. He was holding this office till his elevation to the post of Chief Minister. He contested for the provincial assembly seat in 2002 but lost the election. He is married to the daughter of ANP leader Sareer Khan of Mardan. He is the first Chief Minister from ANP after partition as the cabinet of Doctor Khan Sahib was dismissed soon after the creation of NWFP Cabinet Bashir Ahmed Bilour – Local Government, Election and Rural Development
Rahim
Dad Khan
– Planning
& Development
Arbab
Muhammad Ayub Jan
– Agriculture Muhammad
Ayub Khan Ashari
–
Science
&Technology and Information Technology Barrister
Arshad Abdullah
– Law,
Parliamentary Affairs & Human Rights
Muhammad
Hamayun Khan
– Irrigation
and Power
Liaqat
Ali Shabab
– Excise
and Taxation Mehmud
Zeb Khan
– Revenue
and Estate Mian
Nisar Gul
–
Prisons Namroz
Khan
–
Auqaf,
Haj, Religious and Minority Affairs Saleem
Khan
–
Population
Welfare Sardar
Hussain Babak
–
Schools
& Literacy
Syed
Aqil Shah
–
Sports, Culture, Tourism and Museum Sitara
Ayaz
–
Social
Welfare and Women’s Development Syed Wajid Ali Khan & | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||