ECP to run pilot to register 174,845 women voters in two districts

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will launch a pilot project in Kasur district of Punjab and Qambar Shahdadkot district of Sindh from December 2026 to February 2027. The aim is to help register 174,845 women as voters and narrow the gender gap in electoral rolls.

According to the ECP, the target consists of 115,689 women in Kasur and 59,156 in Qambar Shahdadkot. The commission announced the special project on Saturday and said it is meant to remove practical barriers to women's registration.

The ECP plans to identify eligible women who do not hold a Computerized National Identity Card or are not registered as voters, and help them complete the process. Initially, the project will give priority to statistical blocks where the gender gap in voter registration is higher.

Data for the project will be collected in November 2026. Local social workers and enumerators will make door-to-door visits to prepare statistical block-wise lists of eligible women and to raise awareness.

The ECP will coordinate with NADRA to send Mobile Registration Vans to women's doorsteps. Registration facilities will also be available at centres set up in government buildings.

The education and health sectors, civil society organisations, community representatives and other stakeholders will support mobilisation and awareness. The ECP's Gender and Social Inclusion Wing, provincial election commissioners, district election commissioners and Election Monitoring and Coordination Centres will jointly monitor the campaign with NADRA.

The commission said it hopes to develop a model that can be repeated in other parts of the country. The pilot will help it assess implementation challenges, evaluate outcomes and decide how to expand similar campaigns. The ECP said the project is expected to help reduce the gender gap and promote women's participation in the electoral process.