The gender gap in voter registration in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has narrowed in percentage terms over the past two years, even as the absolute difference between male and female registered voters recorded a marginal increase.

The updated constituency-wise voter registration statistics released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) show that the Federal Capital now has approximately 1.23 million registered voters, comprising 642,547 male and 588,211 female voters. The absolute difference between male and female registered voters stands at 54,336 — up from 53,782 recorded at the time of General Elections 2024 (GE-2024) in February 2024. However, the gender gap as a percentage of total registered voters has declined: from 6.47% at General Elections 2018 (GE-2018), to approximately 5% at GE-2024, to 4.41% in the February 2026 electoral rolls. This reduction indicates comparatively faster growth in female voter registration over the past two years.

Read FAFEN’s story: Read more on gender gap among Punjab voters

What the Elections Act requires

The continued presence of a gap of this magnitude nonetheless underscores the need for sustained institutional action. Section 47(1) of the Elections Act, 2017 requires the ECP to annually publish disaggregated data of registered male and female voters in each constituency and to highlight the difference in their numbers. Under Section 47(2), the Commission must take special measures in any constituency where this difference exceeds 10% — including measures reduce this variation. Section 47(3) further specifies that these measures shall include action by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to expedite NIC issuance for women in affected constituencies, and by the ECP to enroll them as voters in the relevant electoral rolls. This provision places a clear, joint institutional responsibility on both NADRA and the ECP to address the gender gap where it crosses the legal threshold.

These measures include targeted voter registration campaigns, NIC facilitation drives, and community-level outreach to address the barriers that continue to limit women’s registration. Consistent implementation of these provisions is critical to ensuring that the downward trend in the gender gap is sustained and accelerated in the electoral rolls ahead of the next general elections.

Read FAFEN’s story: Read more on gender gap among Khyber Pakhtunkhwa voter