Performance report 2021-22: Women MPs sponsor 35% Parliamentary Business

News Desk

Undeterred by under-representation and neglect, women parliamentarians upheld their tradition of proactively and assertively performing their legislative, representative and oversight functions in both Houses of the Parliament during 2021-22.

This has been observed in the Annual Women Parliamentarians Performance Report 2022 released by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) on the occasion of “International Women’s Day”.

Constituting one-fifth of the Parliament, they accounted for nearly 35 per cent of the parliamentary agenda during 2021-2022– 38 per cent in the National Assembly and 25 per cent in the Senate.

This year’s contribution by women parliamentarians is their highest annual contribution since the 15th National Assembly took oath in 2018.

Parliament leaves around One-fifth agenda initiated by women MPs unaddressed

They had sponsored 33 per cent parliamentary agenda in 2018-19 and 2019-20 each and 28 per cent agenda in 2020-21.

Between March 9, 2021 and March 8, 2022, women parliamentarians remained the most regular members in both the Houses throughout the year.

On an average, each women MNA attended 65 [76%] of the National Assembly sittings against their men MNAs’ average of 52 [60%] sittings. Similarly, a woman Senator attended an average of 42 [77%] Senate sittings against their man counterparts’ average of 38 [70%] sittings.

Despite women parliamentarians’ remarkable contributions, their agenda continued to be neglected in the Parliament. Nearly a 5th (19%) of the women MNAs’ agenda and 6 percent agenda by women Senators either lapsed or remained unaddressed during the reporting period.

With the exception of parliamentary questions, the percentage of unaddressed legislative and representative agenda goes as high as 55 percent.

More than two-third of the calling attention notices (CANs), more than half of the private members’ bills, and all of their private members’ resolutions, motions for public interest discussions, and proposals for amendments to Assembly and Senate Rules either lapsed or are still pending.

Unlike the National Assembly, the Senate appeared to be more responsive to female parliamentarians’ agenda. However, the women senators’ motions for public interest discussions (including motions under Rule 218 and Adjournment Motions) in the Senate remained unaddressed.

Despite women parliamentarians’ remarkable contributions, their agenda continued to be neglected in the Parliament. Nearly a 5th (19%) of the women MNAs’ agenda and 6 percent agenda by women Senators either lapsed or remained unaddressed during the reporting period.

On an average, each woman MNA contributed 10 agenda items to the Assembly’s Orders of the Day against five by a male MNA. Similarly, each female Senator contributed nine agenda items to the Upper House’s Orders of the Day against an average of seven by each male Senator. All women parliamentarians, except four MNAs and one Senator, actively participated in their respective House’s proceedings.

Thematically, the women parliamentarians sought discussions on a range of public importance issues including:  Covid-19 impact, relief efforts and vaccination drives; rights and entitlements of employees and workers; inflation; energy supply and pricing; performance of government departments; protection of women, children and human rights; national and cross-border trade and commerce; foreign affairs; and water management in the country.

The legislative agenda put forward by female parliamentarians included constitutional amendments concerning women’s rights and local governments (LGs), criminal law reforms, improving health governance, protection of workers’ rights, and institutional reforms.