ISLAMABAD, January 26, 2025: A new report by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) reveals a striking pattern in the 2024 general elections, showing that women voters in 18% of communities within the jurisdiction of male and female polling stations cast votes that differed from their male counterparts in National Assembly constituencies.
Released on Sunday, the report titled “Women’s Voting Choices: Significance & Impact on Electoral Outcomes” analyzes voting patterns from 21,188 communities across the country, providing an intriguing insight into gender-based voting behavior.
Key Findings: Alignment in 82% of Communities
The report compares the results from male and female polling stations within the same communities, revealing that in 82% of communities, male and female voters selected the same winner in their respective polling stations.
This alignment, however, was disrupted in the remaining 18% of communities, where men and women voted for different candidates. Fafen’s assessment focused on polling stations where both men and women from the same electoral areas voted, and it emphasizes the complexities of interpreting election results without gender-specific data from combined polling stations.
Urban vs Rural: A Wider Gap in Cities
The divergence in voting behavior was more prominent in urban areas than in rural ones, with Islamabad showing the highest proportion (37%) of communities where male and female polling stations returned different winners. Following Islamabad, Balochistan had the second-highest proportion (32%), while Sindh and Punjab recorded 19% and 18%, respectively. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) had the lowest proportion, with only 13% of electoral communities displaying differing voting outcomes between men and women.
Regional Trends: PTI, PML-N, and PPPP Strongholds
In total, the report highlights 3,884 communities where women’s voting choices were different from those of men. Notably, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) received the most support from women, winning in 1,260 communities. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) followed with 1,027 communities, while Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) secured victories in 694 communities. Regional trends showed that PTI performed strongly across the country, especially among women voters, while PML-N held sway in Punjab, and PPPP dominated in Sindh.
Impact on National Assembly Constituencies: Women’s Votes Make a Difference
The report also delves into the impact of women’s votes on National Assembly constituencies. In 37 constituencies, the largest proportion of voters at female polling stations did not vote for the winning candidates. On the other hand, in 226 constituencies, the largest proportion of female voters supported the winning candidate. Interestingly, in 166 of these constituencies, women voters were more likely to choose the winner than their male counterparts.
Women’s Votes Determining Outcomes in Key Constituencies
In several constituencies, the outcome was determined by the votes of women. In seven constituencies—NA-43 Tank-cum-Dera Ismail Khan, NA-49 Attock-I, NA-55 Rawalpindi-IV, NA-87 Khushab-I, NA-94 Chiniot-II, NA-128 Lahore-XII, and NA-163 Bahawalnagar-IV—the lead from female polling stations played a decisive role in the final result. For instance, in NA-43 Tank-cum-Dera Ismail Khan, PTI narrowly defeated Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF) by just 555 votes, with PTI gaining a significant 1,430-vote lead from female polling stations alone. This lead proved critical in determining the overall winner.
Conclusion: Women’s Voting Impact in Future Elections
Fafen’s report provides a deeper understanding of the gender-based voting patterns in the 2024 elections and emphasizes the importance of considering women’s votes in future electoral strategies. The findings highlight how women’s voting choices can influence election outcomes, offering a fresh perspective on the dynamics of Pakistan’s electoral process.