Urbanisation and women’s voter participation: Evidence from Pakistan
Urban women in Pakistan vote at lower rates than rural women, especially in major cities, despite expectations that urbanisation supports gender equality. The findings suggest barriers such as mobility constraints, weaker partisan mobilisation, and household dynamics, highlighting the need for targeted urban policies.
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- The 2017 Election Act mandates the collection and publication of gender-disaggregated turnout data in Pakistan, enabling precise measurement of gender gaps across locations and assessing subnational variation.
- Analysis shows that women in urban areas across provinces vote at significantly lower rates than women in rural areas, with the gap largest in major metropolitan constituencies.
- This pattern challenges expectations that urbanisation promotes gender equality in political participation.
- Likely explanations include urban-rural differences in partisan mobilisation, constraints on women's mobility, and intra-household differences in voting preferences.
- Policies aimed at improving women’s voter participation should prioritise urban areas, engage partisan actors, and target barriers beyond voter awareness.