Despite a notable reduction in the gender gap on Sindh’s electoral rolls over the past two years, a significant disparity persists with approximately 2.1 million fewer registered female voters than male voters, according to the latest data from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
According to a report by Free and Fair Election Network today, the most recent electoral data, updated to February 2026, indicates the province has a total of around 28.57 million voters. This figure is composed of approximately 15.38 million men and 13.18 million women.
This represents a positive development since the General Elections of 2024, when the discrepancy between male and female electorates stood at over 2.2 million. At that time, the total registered voter count was approximately 26.9 million, with 14.61 million men and 12.38 million women listed.
Expressed in percentages, the gender disparity has shrunk from approximately 8.3 per cent in February 2024 to the current 7.7 per cent. This shift points to a comparatively accelerated rate of registration among women over the two-year period.
However, the continued presence of a gap of this magnitude underscores the necessity for sustained measures aimed at fostering more inclusive electoral participation across the province.
The legal framework governing elections provides specific directives on this issue. Under Section 47(1) of the Elections Act, 2017, the Election Commission is mandated to publish disaggregated data of male and female voter registrations for every constituency on an annual basis, specifically highlighting any numerical differences.
Furthermore, Section 47(2) of the same act compels the Commission to implement special measures in constituencies where this gender gap surpasses the 10 per cent threshold. Such actions are to include facilitating the expedited issuance of National Identity Cards for women in the affected areas to encourage their registration.