KARACHI:
In South Asia, women have few rights and enjoy lower socio-economic opportunities than their male counterparts. Pakistan is no exception to this, which has been exemplified by the country’s poor performance in gender equality indices. Different forms of violence and crimes against women are prevalent in the country. Women face discrimination in both education and work, which hinders them from improving their social mobility. They are not given access to the same form of welfare/services as those given to the male population.
From a young age, girls are not allowed to go to schools and even those that do acquire education are usually not allowed to work. Child marriages and honour killings are commonplace across the country. Although the number of working women has increased in recent years, women are subjected to different forms of harassment and discrimination at work. Women are underrepresented in most spheres, which has further disempowered them. This is ultimately harming the country’s overall growth and progress.
Despite being a South Asian country, Bangladesh has witnessed relative growth and development as it has higher female participation in the labour force. Even the level of educational attainment amongst women is higher compared to Pakistan. To achieve progress and development, Pakistan needs to focus on empowering women. The inclusion of women in the labour force will benefit productivity and creativity because there will be diversified opinions and greater input. The government must speed up its efforts in providing education to girls and ensure the safety and protection of women in society through strict laws and policies.
Parvez Moula
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, March 27th, 2022.
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