This is pretty pathetic. The MMA used reserved seats for women to win a large tally of seats in the elections, but have effectively told their women legislators to keep quiet in proceedings. So much for protecting the rights of women huh?
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/review4.htm
Overcoming reservations
Unlike the indispensable role guaranteed to women in society and the role promised to them in parliament through the constitutional reforms introduced by the present regime, the women members of the religious parties’ alliance in the Frontier are both outwitted and outspoken by their male colleagues during the assemblies’ sessions. Women parliamentarians were given 33 per cent representation, ostensibly to highlight and fight for the rights of women. However, MMA’s women parliamentarians, who prefer to keep silent in the presence of their party colleagues, seem to have ditched the hopes of the women in the NWFP. On the other hand, the opposition’s female MPAs are making their presence felt through points of order, raising questions and presenting privilege motions in the house. Outside of the assembly, activists of religious parties hurl threats at women and all business organizations, urging them not to use women’s portraits on commercial billboards. Activists of the MMA argue that there is no room for women’s pictures at public places in Islam as the practice falls in the domain of obscenity. These activists smashed such billboards on roads and along streets in the provincial metropolis in their endeavour to enforce Shariat in the province. Women in the Frontier usually wear burqas or long white chadars when they venture outside their homes but MMA legislators want to see girls above the age of 12 donning the veil. Pir Muhammad Khan, an MPA from Shangla, intends to move a resolution to make wearing of a veil by young women mandatory in the province. When asked how she felt about this proposed legislation, MMA MPA Rehana Ismail said, “Women cannot observe purdah perforce and should be convinced on the issue instead. As a woman, I believe that there are many other issues which are crying out for attention.” Men in the party seem to believe otherwise. MMA’s leaders and workers have been heard saying how they would like to keep women indoors and tear down their pictures on billboards so that they can achieve their task before it is too late. The question then becomes how keeping women indoors and smashing their pictures will safeguard their basic rights?
The record of NWFP Assembly proceedings also reveal that the MMA’s women MPAs have so far contributed nothing during the assembly sessions. These women have never raised their voices in the assembly since they were sworn in as members of the provincial assembly in November 2002. In interviews conducted in late May, MMA women had promised they would speak up about the problems of their localities. Nargis Zain, an MMA MPA from Swat, was heard saying, “I am going to move a call attention notice in the house very soon. I am going to draw the attention of the house to the deteriorating infrastructure of schools in Swat.” However, records revealed that she said nothing during the assembly session. Another MMA member of assembly Naeema Akhtar from Mardan had also claimed that she would move a call attention notice with regard to the appointment of teachers of Islamiat and Nazira in different schools of Mardan, but the session ended without any such activity. Rehana Ismail, when approachedto comment on the MMA’s women MPAs, said they couldn’t help but play the role of silent spectators as they were sitting in the assembly for the first time and members of the treasury benches avoid speaking on issues. “We point out issues and discuss them in party meetings and we are assured by our male colleagues that the issues would be brought for discussion on the floor of the house.” Like her other companions, she believes that women can be as active in the house as they are in the party meetings, but, she believes, male members feel honoured to move the resolutions. “I don’t think any female MPA from the treasury benches is going to move a resolution in upcoming sessions. As usual, we willlisten and watch others speak,” Rehana said.
MMA senior minister Sirajul Haq, when asked to comment on the contribution of MMA women members in their party meetings or during the assembly sessions, said that they point out problems facing the women in different fields and male members bring them forth in front of the house. Nargis Zain exempted herself from the blame of not actively participating in the proceedings, saying they were told that as the last session was called on the opposition’s request, they should be given the floor. One wonders then when the MMA women will get their turn to speak? Political observers find it somewhat ironic that these women MPAs are vocal in private gatherings and actively participate in seminars along with their children and husbands but remain idle in assembly sessions. “When their brethren MPAs are there to move resolutions and discuss problems, there is no need for the female members of the party to raise their voices for anything,” said MPA Pir Muhammad Khan. Observers say that if the MMA’s women members also chose to take the floor to vent their views or speak up in front of their male party members, it would make for an interesting session. Surprisingly, one MMA woman parliamentarian stood up to defend the smashing of billboards by the religious zealots in the session last month. She said that collecting revenue by displaying pictures of women was against our culture and Islamic values. However, this female MPA’s identity wasn’t revealed as she was clad in a burqa so it was hard to tell who had countered the opposition ladies on the floor of the house. The Frontier government’s compulsion on women’s participation in electoral politics and its policy on gender segregation in various fields of life are held in suspicion both by political observers and by members of the public. Notwithstanding the fact that the MMA government filled the reserved seats for women to gain more weight in the numbers game in disregard of its policy on women’s participation in social activities, it has yet to establish an active role for them in the assemblies.