16 September, 2025: World Identity Day, PODA conducted Mock Polling Sessions for women in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The activity was part of the Rural Women’s Network for Civic Leadership and Participation Project, funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and was linked with Democracy Day. The purpose was to encourage women’s participation in democracy by giving them practical training on how to vote. Women and young people from the community learned the correct way to cast their votes.

Ms. Kousar Bibi, PODA Rural Women Leader and member of the District Information Women Alliance (DIWA), led the session with 36 participants at her community. Out of these, five women had their first-ever voting experience, as they had never cast a vote before.

Ms. Kousar Bibi made a ballot box herself and guided the women step by step on the voting process. She showed them how to cast their votes so they would not be rejected properly. She also explained the importance of having a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC), as it is necessary not only for voting but also for accessing education, opening bank accounts, and benefiting from government schemes.