As the country gears up for fiercely controversial polls in October, what are the prospects for women’s political participation in Pakistan?

When I was in fourth grade, Zubaida Jalal, then Pakistan’s federal minister for education, visited our school in Pakistan’s southwestern port town of Gwadar. It was my first time meeting a politician, that too a female politician. Her visit, questions to the students in Balochi (the native language) and the traditional Baloch dress inspired my little self. I wanted to become as empowered as she was, and maybe run for office someday. I had never seen a woman in my family working outside the home, let alone becoming a politician.

Click here to read the full article published by The Diplomat on 25 May 2023.