The Women, Business and the Law (WBL) report recently published by the World Bank has given Pakistan a score of 55.6 out of 100 — lower than the regional average observed across South Asia. This indicates that Pakistan needs to do much more in order to improve legal equality for women in the country.
There is no denying that in a male-dominated developing country, women tend to constantly be subjected to discrimination without having a cohesive legal framework to protect them. A few provinces have strengthened women’s law but significant reformation is yet to be seen at a national level. Not just for Pakistan, the report paints a bleak picture of the plight of working women worldwide. Approximately 2.4 billion women are not afforded an equal economic opportunity while a staggering 178 countries had legal barriers that prevented full economic participation. The report further states that Pakistan scored lowest in the indicator measuring laws affecting women’s work after having children while significant improvement was needed in constraints related to movement and marriage; differences in property, inheritance and pension; and equal pay. We see middle-income household women eager to work and develop their career but discrimination, harassment and constraints really tie them down. In order to encourage women to become active member of society and contribute towards strengthening the economy, Pakistan needs to build a conducive environment that provides and protects their freedoms. The federal government must take the lead and work on devising suitable policies and tabling relevant acts to enhance and protect women’s freedom.
Considering the state of the economy Pakistan needs all the help it can get, which means bringing more and more women into the workforce and encouraging women to start businesses. Instead of tackling these issues separately, the Centre must devise a holistic action plan to strengthen women’s rights by improving the legal framework and ensuring implementation, which is equally necessary.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2022.
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