Does a link exist between increasing Women's Participation in Parliament and the Introduction and Passage of Laws to Protect Women in Pakistan?

Abstract

Since the inception of parliamentary form of government, women’s political participation and representation in decision-making institutions has remained minimal. Still today, political participation of women is low. In different regions and states there are considerable variations in the numbers of women parliamentarians. This paper, with a focus on Pakistan, seeks to answer one significant question. What impact – if any – does an increase in the percentage of women serving in Parliament have on policies created by that legislative body? This paper presents the case of the Pakistani National Assembly. We examined the numbers of women parliamentarians and legislative outcomes over time – from 1990 to 2014. The paper observes how this numerical strength of women in the Pakistani parliament has contributed to the enactment of significant pieces of “women’s interests” legislation that protect the rights and enhance the lives of Pakistani women and girls.