Female MNAs drive legislative agenda with strong policy focus: report

ISLAMABAD: Female legislators are playing an increasingly significant role in shaping parliamentary proceedings and advancing Pakistan’s national agenda, according to a report by the Free and Fair Election Network.

During the second parliamentary year of the 16th National Assembly, women MNAs submitted 1,206 agenda items, reflecting a strong and independent legislative contribution.

The analysis revealed that 72% of these items focused on core national policy areas such as economic policy, taxation, national security and governance — sectors traditionally viewed as male-dominated. Constituency and local issues accounted for 18%, while gender-specific legislation made up only 6% of the total submissions.

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The report highlighted that the coding of agenda items was based on official National Assembly records from March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, categorising them into national policy, constituency issues, gender-specific matters and procedural or cross-cutting areas.

According to the findings, the assumption that female MNAs primarily focus on women’s rights and social welfare is not supported by data. Instead, women lawmakers are actively engaging in a broad spectrum of policy discussions, including economic and security matters.

The report concluded that female parliamentarians in Pakistan are not limited to niche issues but are contributing across the full range of legislative business, matching their male counterparts while also addressing gender-related concerns where necessary.