Pakistani Women Face Institutional Barriers Despite Assembly Quotas

Global challenges to women's substantive political participation persist despite formal measures such as quotas and increased female representation. In Pakistan, while gender quotas have increased women's numerical presence in legislatures, institutional and societal barriers, including patriarchal norms and dynastic politics, continue to limit their genuine influence on governance. Similarly, South Korea faces significant struggles over women's rights, with anti-feminist forces impacting its democratic stability and slow progress in gender equality despite a strong women's movement. In Malaysia, civil society campaigns like Projek30% are advocating for legislative mandates to increase women's political representation, addressing the low ranking of women’s political empowerment in the region. Meanwhile, in the United States, feminist leadership remains a critical topic as women leaders like Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris have broken barriers, yet feminist governance—governing by feminist principles rather than simply holding office—remains an ongoing challenge. These diverse contexts reveal that achieving substantive political empowerment for women requires overcoming deep-rooted structural, normative, and political obstacles beyond mere numerical inclusion.