USAID’s CVP Continues to Engage with ECP for Accelerating Women Voters’ Registration Campaign

The CVP requested the ECP to share these calendars with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to facilitate unregistered women in a timely manner. This coordinated effort under the ECP's umbrella aims to reduce impediments in program implementation at the ground level and prompt resolution of issues pertaining to NADRA. The CVP staff engaged with the ECP's Gender and Disability Working Group on January 26, 2018, to highlight and discuss possible remedial actions concerning NADRA's capacity to deal with the gender-gap on the electoral rolls. CVP staff members emphasized that NADRA's cooperation is crucial to accomplish this goal, and suggested that NADRA adopt innovative means such as the use of man-packs, small mobile registration units, and additional centers to address this issue. ECP staff assured to raise this issue with the Chief Election Commissioner and confirmed that a NADRA representative will be present in the next working group's meeting to address the issues faced by civil society organizations. The ECP shared records of 103,298 eligible-age unregistered women with NADRA and Provincial Election Commissioners (PECs) for facilitation in acquiring National Identity Cards (NICs). The ECP directed the PECs and NADRA to coordinate with TDEA's partner organizations for enhancing women NIC and voter registration at the local level. The records of unregistered women have been collected by partner organizations from 22 districts of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, and Sindh. The ECP's express ownership is expected to contribute to narrowing the gender-gap of 12.7 million on the electoral rolls. The CVP continued to engage with the ECP for accelerating women voters' registration campaign. On January 24, 2018, the ECP called on NADRA to take remedial actions for countering the issues emanating from NADRA's recent directive, which resulted in the withdrawal of Mobile Registration Vans (MRVs) in five districts where the CVP is working. The ECP directed NADRA to share the list of focal persons of CVP partner organizations with NADRA's regional headquarters for improved coordination and to re-check the incorrect number of women whose data was shared by the ECP in its directive. The CVP supported a nationwide campaign for identifying unregistered women, which gained momentum from January 25 to 31, 2018. A total of 13,964 eligible-age unregistered women from KP, Punjab, and Sindh were identified for facilitation under Grant Cycle-11. Subsequent to identifying and listing of unregistered women, the CVP will facilitate them in acquiring NICs from NADRA. This intervention aims to facilitate up to one million eligible-age women. The CVP efforts to facilitate women in acquiring NICs yielded significant results from January 25 to 31, 2018. CVP partner organizations reported facilitation of 3,524 eligible-age women from five districts of KP, four districts of Sindh, and three districts of Punjab in acquiring NICs. Through its nationwide campaign, the CVP is channeling its efforts to increase women voters' registration by facilitating them in acquiring NICs in order to increase women turnout in the General Elections 2018. The CVP strengthened its engagement with state authorities for women voter registration from January 25 to 31, 2018. CVP partner organizations conducted 12 meetings with representatives of NADRA, ECP, Local Governments, Civil Society Organizations, and District Voter Education Committees (DVECs). These strategically planned sensitization and coordination meetings were held in two districts of Sindh and one district each of KP and Punjab. Aimed at enhancing coordination between CVP partner organizations and state institutions, these meetings were attended by 42 men and two women. The CVP gained support of religious and community leaders for registering women with NADRA from January 25 to 31, 2018. Partner organizations carried out 10 community meetings by engaging religious and community leaders in two districts each of KP and Punjab, and one district of Sindh to seek their support for women identification and NIC registration. These meetings were attended by 118 men and 296 women. Partner organizations sought community support for realizing equal rights of women to participate in political and electoral processes and continue to engage with religious leaders and community elders at the local level for increased women NIC registration. The CVP employed social media for enhancing women NIC and voter registration from January 25 to 31, 2018. CVP continued its advocacy efforts using social media to reach out to policy-makers, opinion-makers, and general public. CVP's social media campaign messages are in line with ECP's strategy for enhancing women NIC