International observers arrive today to monitor elections

Islamabad: To monitor 2013 elections from gender perspective, a team of international gender expert observers (IOs) will arrive in Pakistan today (Sunday).

The team of female gender expert international observers will be deployed to their respective observation stations to observe the electoral process from a gender perspective on 10 May. 50 female observers from Pakistan, who have been recruited and appointed as election observers by the Aurat Foundation, will join the IOs.

Sabra Bano, Director of Gender Concerns International, is arriving in Pakistan on May 5, 2013, and she would be accompanied by a team of gender expert observers on May 8, including the Deputy Head of the Mission, Magda de Meyer, who was previously the Deputy Head of the GEM Mission Pakistan (2008), Tunisia (2011) and Libya (2012), and Ann Wilkens, political analyst and former Ambassador of Sweden to Pakistan.

Gender Concerns International (GCI)�s Gender Election Monitoring Mission, in collaboration with Aurat Foundation would be monitoring the General Election 2013 with reference to women�s participation in the election. Both organisations have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 1, 2013, under which 15 international and 50 national observers will monitor the coming elections form gender angle.

�It is with great pride that I get to take part in this historical moment for Pakistan by heading the only international election observation mission to monitor the elections from a gender perspective. The government of Pakistan�s recognition of the importance of women�s political participation foreshadows a promising future for Pakistan�, said Sabra Bano, who has been the Head of previous GEM Missions including Libya (2012), Morocco (2011), Tunisia (2011), and Pakistan (2008).

Expert trainers will hold training workshops for GEM domestic observers. The GEM Mission observers will follow a comprehensive observation methodology developed through Gender Concerns International�s experience in election observation and promoting gender inclusive governance throughout the Middle East and North Africa Region and parts of Asia.

Two days following the elections, the GEM Mission will issue a preliminary report, which will be followed by a final report to include recommendations for promoting gender inclusive elections.