ISLAMABAD: In collaboration with their male counterparts, women lawmakers contributed 39 percent of parliamentary business in the National Assembly and Senate during 2017-18. Comparison of the on-floor performances of female and male lawmakers in both Houses of the Parliament shows that women members actively participated in the proceedings through regular attendance and substantive contribution to parliamentary business, particularly in the National Assembly during the reporting periods – May 2017 to February 2018 for the NA and March 2017 to March 2018 for the Senate. Currently, women constitute 20 percent of the Parliament with 19 seats in the Senate and 70 in NA. These women parliamentarians contributed 36 percent of the business transacted by both Houses of the Parliament in their respective parliamentary years. They also supported their male counterparts in sponsoring a three-percent additional agenda. The parliamentary Orders of the Day included a total of 5,654 agenda items during the reporting period. The percentage of women’s contribution to parliamentary business in NA was equivalent to that of men, ie 49 percent. In the Senate, women sponsored 15 percent parliamentary business individually and three percent jointly. The women lawmakers of NA initiated 31 out of 98 bills on their own and 22 bills in collaboration with their male colleagues. Women lawmakers exclusively sponsored 36 of 72 resolutions in the NA and collaborated with their male counterparts for moving 16 additional resolutions. The women lawmakers in the Senate sponsored 13 of 145 bills on their own and five in partnership with male lawmakers, and moved 15 of 99 resolutions. Women parliamentarians also kept a close vigil on the government by asking questions and raising Calling Attention Notices (CANs). They asked 1,595 questions and moved 64 CANs in the NA. Whereas, in the Senate, the questions and CANs moved by them amounted to 241 and 26. Moreover, they sponsored 36 Motions under Rule 259 in the NA and 48 Motions under Rule 218 in the Senate. On average, a woman lawmaker sponsored 23 agenda items individually in both Houses of Parliament whereas a male lawmaker sponsored on average 10 agenda items. In the NA, a woman lawmaker introduced on average 25 agenda items, in comparison to six by her male colleague. In the Senate, a woman lawmaker sponsored on average 17 agenda items as compared to 21 agenda items per male lawmaker. The NA held 75 sittings while the Senate held 100 sittings during their respective reporting periods. In the NA, a woman lawmaker attended on average 50 sittings whereas a male lawmaker attended on average 42 sittings. In the Senate, a woman lawmaker attended on average 64 sittings whereas a male lawmaker attended on average 59 sittings. Published in Daily Times, March 8th 2018.