What is CCWR

CCWR stands for Citizens’ Campaign for Women’s Representation in local government elections. Aurat Foundation had launched CCWR, for the first time, in 2000 in Pakistan. Now the Foundation has lunched the campaign to bring women into politics so that they can take part in decision making at local level.

Status of Political Participation of Women in Pakistan

The political participation of women in Pakistan has usually been limited to their role as voters or as campaigners for male candidates or as agitators of political parties when in opposition. Very few were elected as public representatives on general seats at any level. In the last general elections in 1997, out of 217 members in the National Assembly there were only seven women. Out of 87 members of the Senate, there were only two women and in the four Provincial Assemblies there were only two women out of 460 members.
In the Sub-continent since 1935 a special legal provision always existed for seats reserved for women in legislative bodies. The 1956, 1962 and 1973 constitutions of Pakistan provided space for women’s representation in the legislative assemblies, through indirect elections by the legislators in those assemblies. The provision lapsed after the 1988 elections and a constitutional amendment was needed to restore the reservation.
For local government institutions a reservation of 5% and 12% seats women was made for women to be flled through indirect elections by the members (mostly male), of the local bodies. In the last local government elections in all the four provinces in 1993, out of a total of 75,556 councillors, 8,246 councillors were women.
It was decided to develop a consensus on a specific demand for affirmative action for women's representation in the national and provincial legislatures and in local government before lobbying for more seats. It was finally agreed by women’s rights organizations and women in major political parties that 33% seats be reserved for women at all levels, through direct elections. This was the minimum condition for mainstreaming women in politics.
From 1995 onwards, Aurat Foundation launched a national campaign to take the issue to its larger network of partner organisations and for lobbying with governments. But lobbying the Federal Governments of both the major political parties, elicited a negative response. The reason given was, "There are no women out there."
The two parties could not come together to provide the required majority for the constitutional amendment to restore the reserved seats in the legislatures. The condition of direct elections was dismissed out of hand as being “unrealistic in the social conditions of Pakistan.”
Eventually the military government of President Musharaf in March 2000 accepted the demand, under its Plan for Devolution of Power to Local Government. In a 21- member union council, the lowest tier of Local Government, six out of the 18 general and peasant/worker seats, were reserved for women through direct elections. Furthermore, women could stand against the remaining 15 seats as well since all seats were open to them.
The present government's acceptance of demand for 33% and direct elections presented a challenge to civil society organizations that had campaigned for it. It became imperative to look for 'the women out there' and build a supportive environment for them. The 'Citizen's Campaign for Women's Representation in Local Government' was the response of civil society organizations to this challenge.