Pakistan’s untapped human potential

Being a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) is probably one of the most difficult and unrewarded jobs in the world. Yet millions of women everyday compromise their careers, ambitions, talents and passions to become full time SAHM.

Many of these women are highly qualified with professional degrees, and a great percentage posses postgraduate degrees. According to a study, of the total female students successfully completing MBBS, only 20 % work as doctors in hospitals. A larger percentage gets married and chooses to stay home to take care of their kids or parents.

Reviewing the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2017-18, Gallup Pakistan found that 78% females were not part of the labour force compared to 33% of males. It further showed that six out of 10 women holding a postgraduate degree remained unemployed.

The irony is that most of these women belong to the middle or upper middle class that works hard to make ends meet. They are mostly dependent on one male bread-earner of the family. However, despite in need and even capable and available to work for a white collar job, these women do not step out of their homes for fear of neglecting kids, parents or their homes.

How can we help this particular set of highly qualified SAHM and make them a part of the nation’s main workforce? For this we need to look into the issues faced by these women.

As we understand, SAHMs are not willing to work full hour. They may be able to spare a few hours a day; and therefore be willing to take a particular task for a lower remuneration. They can be paid on an hourly or fixed cost basis. While a majority may be willing to work from home, others may be able to step out of their homes for a few hours like mothers who have school-going kids, while others may be available on a need basis and are willing to pursue their ambitions or financial goals.

While mothers with infants may not be able to find set hours for a task, they can spread their work over the day or week and achieve short targets in return for a reasonable compensation. These women are contributing a lot to their home and are an asset for society as well. They may be highly capable or possess a great deal of talent but they need avenues to show case their knowledge and abilities.

This is Pakistan’s untapped human potential that we need to explore. We need to formulate an effective strategy to tap this human capital. First of all we need to identify this potential human resource, their fields of interest and strength.

Next we need to channelise this potential in the right direction by bridging the gap between the business and service industry and available human resource. It will not only reduce the unemployment ratio but will also raise the per capita income and consequently the standard of living, ultimately bringing many positive economic and social changes.

We have learned during Covid-19 that work from home is not only doable but is also cost-effective. Not only are employers able to save office rent and overhead expenses but employees are also more available and don’t always need to take leaves or off days to manage a domestic errand or issue.

This further strengthens the argument that channelising 60 % of the potentially qualified women for a relatively lower monetary package can be a symbiotic economic opportunity for both the employers and employees. Moreover, it will prevent the job gap and the mid-career crisis women face when they return to full-time jobs after a gap.

It will also bring about financial independence for women which in itself is a great step towards progress for any country’s economic and social development.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2020.

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