Awaz-e-Niswan (AAN), was established in 2016 as a pilot project and was incorporated as a non-profit in November 2017 with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. AAN is envisioned as a membership-based network of women voters across the country. It is not affiliated to any political party or organization and aims to represent the concerns of women voters in Pakistan, irrespective of their political, social or geographic locations. The rationale for AAN lies in the fact that women constitute 44% of registered voters in Pakistan yet female votes polled are low, especially among the younger age group. For women to be recognized as influential constituents in their own right, female voters need to be organized, be aware of the significance and power of their vote and informed enough to exercise this power beyond the heat of the election days. Political parties and stakeholders need to recognize women as influential constituents in their own right and respond to their priorities.
