Daily Times

First published by the World Economic Forum in 2006, the Global Gender Gap Report ranks 145 countries according to their gender equality in education, health and work. Illustrated through the degree of equality achieved between men and women in closing this gap, the report’s Gender Gap Index classifies countries based on how well they cater to their female pool based on economic, educational, health based and political indicators. Despite slight progress, reflected through the colossal entrance of a quarter of a billion women in the global workforce since 2006 and narrowing of the global gender gap by four percent, gendered wage inequalities still persist with the annual income of women now equaling the amount men were earning a decade ago. According to staggering statistics, it will take 118 years or till 2133 to close this wage gulf. Pakistan ranked 144th on the list, presenting a bleak portrait of the state of modest progress made on female empowerment and gender equality. The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) established in 2000 and the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act passed by parliament in 2010 are two of many initiatives aimed at cultivating not only a safe environment for working women to thrive in professionally, but to streamline public discourse and critical discussion on the status of women.

More than a century has passed since the Suffragette Movement activated a mass gender shift not just in terms of political franchising but by opening up social structures, economic institutions and educational opportunities for women. Since then, women have made unimaginable strides in bridging this arbitrary and biased gap. Despite mobilising against the ‘glass ceiling’ that hinders a woman’s professional advancement, the gender gap persists due to the prevalence of other inherent disparities, sustained by the inability of women to make a lasting dent through their rightful demands. There is logically no reason to pay women less than men for the same work. Truth is, due to a lack of access to education in traditional structures, women cannot move beyond the status patriarchy assigns to them, thereby being excluded from developing necessary skills to be part of the workforce. The reality of this lingering hangover persists in rural and urban centres alike. In theory, the national narrative does not advocate this stark inequality. Quaid-e-Azam, our founding father, went as far as to say: “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.” It is in Pakistan’s interest to mobilize this huge human resource that has the capacity to boost the crumbling economy. Instead of inhibiting the progress of almost half the population, it is a 21st century prerogative to strengthen institutions that don’t just effectively empower women, but in fact encourage an educated female mindset that is able to take control of its own future. *