Bans on women's voting: An intersection of caste, gender, and class in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan ranks lowest in women's vote-casting turnout on the global gender gap index in South Asia. Political participation of women is consistently low and there is a quite obvious gender gap in voting throughout Pakistan's constituencies. One of the most important reasons behind this gap in voter turnout is the informal bans on women to cast their votes. This qualitative study unpacks the interplay of caste, patriarchy, and normative stances of Pakistani society to understand bans on women's vote-casting rights. The researchers argue that caste pride intersects gender and class in a dominantly patriarchal socio-political environment and prevents women to cast their votes. In the light of findings, the study also suggests a few constructive measures for authorities to sort out this burning issue in Punjab.