THE IMPACT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 2022 ON WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT: A CASE STUDY OF TEHSIL BATKHELA, DISTRICT MALAKAND

Abstract

Despite the Local Government Act 2022's provisions for women's empowerment through reserved seats in local councils, significant gaps persist between legislative intent and ground-level implementation in traditional Pakistani communities. This study examined the Act's impact on women's empowerment in Tehsil Batkhela, District Malakand, to bridge the understanding between policy intentions and practical realities that women representatives face in socio-cultural contexts. Employing a qualitative research design, the study conducted in-depth interviews with three women union councillors from Bala Batkhela, Medhe Khil, and New Batkhela, accompanied by site visits to local government offices and a systematic literature review. The findings reveal that while women representatives understand their roles and responsibilities, they face complex barriers, including cultural constraints, institutional exclusion from council meetings, inadequate resource allocation, and limited access to development funds. Despite these challenges, women achieved notable successes in organising awareness campaigns, improving educational facilities, and gradually shifting community perceptions about women's leadership capabilities. The study recommends implementing comprehensive capacity-building programs, ensuring adequate financial allocations, establishing monitoring mechanisms for women's inclusion, conducting sustained awareness campaigns to challenge gender stereotypes, and creating supportive networks among women representatives to enhance their collective effectiveness in local governance.