Press Release: The Aurat Foundation and Gender Concerns International to Monitor the 2013 Elections in Pakistan from Gender Perspective

The Aurat Foundation and Gender Concerns International to Monitor the 2013 Elections in Pakistan from Gender Perspective

ISLAMABAD, 28 February 2013: The Aurat Foundation and Gender Concerns International announced their partnership in working towards and promoting a gender inclusive governance prior to, during and after the 2013 elections in Pakistan. The organisations wish to monitor the elections with a gender perspective by establishing a Gender Election Monitoring (GEM) Mission.

The GEM Mission’s prime objective is to support women’s participation in democratic processes and to promote the vision of a gender-balanced society, so that women are seen as catalysts for change and can hold key decision-making positions and acquire leadership skills. The GEM Mission aims to ensure that women’s political participation continues post-election and that the newly elected government addresses a gender agenda.

The two organisations, Gender Concerns International and the Aurat Foundation will implement the advancement of the political participation of women in Pakistan through capacity building, the facilitation of training sessions, and lobbying/advocacy work.

Building the capacities of women’s organisations, women in civil society organisations, female Parliamentarians, female leaders and fifty or more domestic observers to monitor the 2013 elections in Pakistan from a gender perspective will strengthen local women’s capacities and build their relationship with female Parliamentarians.

Gender Concerns International is an international gender and development organisation with its headquarters in The Hague and offices in several countries including Tripoli, Tunis, Brussels, and Islamabad. It has conducted a series of unique GEM Missions successfully monitoring elections exclusively from a gender perspective in Pakistan (2008), Tunisia (2011), Morocco (2011) and Libya (2012).

Since the establishment of the Aurat Foundation, the organisation has been involved in empowering women to participate in political process of Pakistan. The organisation has developed various initiatives to support and motivate women’s political participation. Through its regional offices in Quetta, Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore, Gilgit Baltistan and the Head Office in Islamabad, the organisation has extensive outreach capabilities at a grassroots level.

The Aurat Foundation and Gender Concerns International look forward to cooperating to promote female leadership and gender equality in Pakistan.