Pakistan: Harassment of female voters, aid workers shadow historic Pakistan election

Pakistan just held a historic election, but civil society is protesting over thousands of women barred from the polls by Islamic radicals and the fresh killings of aid workers in the world’s most dangerous place for humanitarians.

 

 

The May 11 vote — the first ever to come after the government completed a full five-year term after a succession of military dictators — was shadowed by these two concerns, sparking an outcry from civil society movements and NGOs.

 

Pakistan, often called a democratic victory, had 11 million less female than male registered voters out of the total pool of 86 million with the right to vote in the elections. Figures from the Election Commission show that only one in every three voters was a woman in many polling stations, especially — according to aid groups — in areas controlled by Islamic radicals.