Women’s Empowerment in PMLN and PPP Governments: A Comparative Analysis ( 1988- 2025)

Abstract

Despite women's strides in the political arena since Pakistan’s inception, it still needs reforms. Both the Pakistan Peoples Party(PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) are focusing on enacting laws for women's empowerment. The Pakistan Peoples Party came into power on multiple occasions. With this long political tenure of both political parties, this study traces the intricacies inherent in women’s discrimination and the need for constitutional rights. This study weighs up the undertaken legislative measures of both Political parties in order to safeguard women’s interests. While applying interpretation with the Qualitative method, this study explores results, contrasts and compares their policies with a systematic approach. This research examines the differences and similarities found between these two main political parties’ manifestos and achievements. The consequential findings disclosed that the Party’s manifestos and implementation of policies played a vital role in regulating women’s representation and safeguarding their rights. This study compared the senatorial efforts for women’s empowerment implemented by the PPP and PMLN from 1988 to 2025. Using the parties' official papers, policy of statements, Newspapers and scholarly analysis, this research investigates the performance of both political parties while addressing the hindrances faced by them on their way to attaining women’s rights. The results indicated that the PMLN government carried off mostly their party commitments as compare to the PPP.