ECP: Pakistan’s voter registration gender gap shrinks to 7.1pc from 11.8pc

WEB DESK: The gender gap among registered voters in Pakistan has seen a substantial reduction, declining from 11.8 percent in 2018 to 7.1 percent in 2025, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan announced the figures during a review meeting for the Pakistan Legislative, Electoral, Digital Governance and Empowerment (Pledge) project on Thursday. He highlighted that women’s voter registration has grown at a faster rate than men’s over the past five years, with a 27 percent increase in female registrants compared to a 17 percent rise for males.

This progress follows a concerted, multi-phase national campaign focused on registering women for national identity cards, a prerequisite for voter enrollment. A fifth phase of the drive is currently active in 62 districts where the registration gap still exceeds 10 percent. With support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), activities starting in January 2026 will assist 25,000 women in 15 districts to obtain IDs, automatically adding them to voter rolls.

The effort marks a notable shift. In the February 2024 general elections, Pakistan’s voter registry showed a disparity of 10 million more men than women registered, despite women comprising 49 percent of the population.

The ECP attributes the narrowing gap to its targeted registration initiatives and the implementation of a Gender Mainstreaming and Social Inclusion Framework (GMSIF). Secretary Khan also noted the establishment of a technology-equipped election monitoring center, which includes a dedicated gender desk, and public awareness campaigns featuring content in Braille, sign language, and 3D formats for persons with disabilities.

UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Samuel Rizk praised the ECP’s efforts and reaffirmed the program’s commitment to providing technical assistance to the commission through 2029 under the Pledge project.