EU delegation visits Aurat Foundation election cell

Lahore: A team of European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) visited Gender Election Monitoring (GEM) Cell, Aurat Foundation, Lahore today and appreciated women’s increased participation in the electoral process for General Election 2013.

The two-member team consisting Ms Eirini-Maria Gounari (Greece) and Gibbor Basch (Hungari) was briefed by Resident Director Aurat Foundation Nasreen Zehra, Mumtaz Mughal, Provincial Manager, Rahmat Ali Mujahid Advisor of GEM Cell that there is noticeable initiative among women politicians to contest general seats in the elections. This is in addition to general seats reserved for women in the national assemblies and four provincial assemblies.

The European told that women coming from tribal areas for contesting election, still prone to tribal taboos, are a healthy sign in the society. Equally optimistic is taking part by women hitherto shackled under the yoke of bonded labor.

The delegation was told that GEM Cell has been set up by Aurat Foundation to collect, process and disseminate gender based information in general election 2013.

The team was told that AF has developed material for awareness of women politicians as well as women voters. AF had launched a campaign about more than two lac women voters who were being deprived of their voting right on account of being on election duty on the polling day. They, the AF urged, should be facilitated to cast their vote through postal ballot by 25th April, the last date revised for this purpose.
Aurat Foundation has set up GEM Cell at each provincial capital to facilitate election candidates and their staff to provide information on election.

The European Election Observation Mission has been deployed in Pakistan on invitation by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The EU EOM objectives are to support the democratic process; to strengthen respect for human rights and rule of law and to enhance public confidence in the electoral process.
An election kit containing publications regarding women issues was presented to the European delegation team by Resident Director, Nasreen Zehra.