A day after the anniversary of the passing of the Lahore Resolution which called for the making of a separate homeland for the Muslims of British India, it is necessary to reflect on how far the country has come in providing its citizens with equality and an environment in which they can thrive. This is particularly necessary when it comes to Pakistan’s women.
The country’s female citizens continue to face hurdles when it comes to getting an education, economic participation and enjoying the same level of agency as their male counterparts.
In its Pakistan@100 report, the World Bank has stated that if Pakistan is to become an upper-middle income country by 2047, women’s participation in the workforce will have to rise from the current 26 percent to 45 percent. It should be pointed out that progress has been made over the course of the country’s history. From 1992 to 2014, women’s workforce participation rate has almost doubled. However, things simply aren’t moving fast enough. 50 percent of the country’s female population has never attended school, while only 10 percent of Pakistani women do not have a post-secondary education. Meanwhile, they are ten times more likely to be involved in household chores or caring for children and the elderly than the country’s men. This leaves them with even less time to gain the critical skills required to become a part of the modern economic setup. This problem is compounded by Pakistan’s high fertility rate, which not only also makes it harder for women to contribute to the economy but makes it harder for the state to implement the changes necessary to bring about sustainable economic change.
An action plan is needed that tackles all of the aforementioned issues and is followed by subsequent governments until true gender equality is achieved. This must involve changing perceptions of women’s roles in the household and society at large through the education system and media campaigns. Furthermore, women’s legal marriageable age must be increased while the state cracks down harder on child marriages so that the fertility rate can be brought down. The government must realise that there can be no real economic change while 49 percent of the population remains deprived of education and the opportunity to earn for themselves. *
Published in Daily Times, March 24th 2019.