Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) does not contain biometric records of as many as 3.72 million women voters.

As reported by Dawn.com, the database records fingerprints and photographs of voters. Due to social values of the country around women being photographed, Nadra does allow for the rules to be relaxed in terms of collecting women’s pictures. Instead they undergo an intensive verification process that looks at family lineage and witness verification, along with fingerprints.

Should the country’s Senate Standing Committee decide to remove this relaxation, it may mean that women would be removed from voter registration lists and not be allowed to vote.

Punjab is the region with the most non-registered women, topping the list with over 2.62 million unregistered women.

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