CNIC and Voter Registration Campaign in Seven Districts

Legal identity is a critical and multifaceted issue situated at the intersection of human rights, demographic statistics, and administrative reform. Legal identity has wide-reaching implications. Access to resources, social services, and economic opportunities are all linked directly or indirectly with the official proof of identity, i.e., computerized national identity cards (CNIC). However, not everyone is able to avail this facility, which may be due to various reasons including, but not limited to, cumbersome documentation, access, cultural barriers, lack of understanding, and the associated fee.

At the time, the Election Commission of Pakistan was expected to declare the CNIC mandatory to cast vote in the next General Elections, which further increased the significance of this key document. NADRA and the ECP were also in the process of finalizing arrangement by virtue of which every new identity card would automatically be registered for voting as well. The changing ECP-NADRA dynamics made it an opportune time for venturing into a CNIC and voter registration campaign.

This project aimed to conduct a focused advocacy campaign to decrease the men to women registration differences in model districts. This was to be achieved in three phases. The first phase focused on data collection from NADRA and comparing it with FAFEN’s election data to compile a general trend vis-à-vis CNIC and voter registration. The second phase focused on conducting an assessment exercise in four districts to identify obstacles, hurdles and to select model districts for a focused advocacy campaign. In the last phase, the unregistered women were facilitated to register for CNIC in collaboration with NADRA.

Duration: September 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010

Funding Agency: The Asia Foundation (TAF)