In the drapery of Pakistan’s pursuit for sustainable development, woven in the threads of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the quest for reducing gender inequality stands as a pulsating, intricate pattern. While a noteworthy advancement has been realised, unadorned patches of inequality are revealed on the canvas, emphasising the importance of sustained and rigorous efforts.
The Pakistan SDGs Report 2021, the nation’s first official report on the progress towards these global goals, offers a nuanced look at the state of gender equality.
Glimmering threads of progress Pakistan can boast of concerning Gender Equality including education, economic participation and political representation for both males and females. Although the gap persists, female enrolment in primary education has climbed to 97%, exceeding the national target. This surge signifies a crucial step towards empowering future generations ultimately. Economic participation is yet another area of interest. Though the female labour force participation rate remains low at 22%, initiatives like the Benazir Income Support Programme have supported women’s economic agency, empowering them to break free from the shackles of poverty.
Obvious efforts to enhance the political representation of females in the political landscape of the country have been made. Pakistan’s has reserved sizeable quotas for women in both upper and lower houses of the parliament. It ensures 22% and 17% of the seats for women in the National Assembly and the Senate respectively. This augmented presence promises a more inclusive, gender-sensitive policy landscape. In terms of civic participation, women’s political engagement is limited; during the 2018 elections, of the 46 million women who were registered to vote, only 40% voted.
These brightened glimpses accompany the darker shades of inequality. Whereas enrolment in primary education is encouraging, the number of females who complete higher levels lags far behind the baseline as envisaged by the “Agenda 2030”.
Unequal opportunities may be credited to barriers such as insufficient access to skill development, an underprivileged female education system and a lack of dedicated transportation and childcare facilities. Together, these barriers continue to restrict female economic participation, hampering their involvement in national growth. In addition, the wage gap between males and females, unfavoured discrimination at the workplace and incidence of violence targeting females are entrenched in the social and cultural structure of society. In Pakistan, women receive 34% less wages as compared to their male counterparts for similar work, resulting in a pervasive inequality that asks for remedial policy frameworks and vigorous enforcement mechanisms for the same policies.
Physical or sexual violence faced by one-third of the women in their lifetime paints yet another grey picture of gender-based violence in the country. Nurturing social awareness among females of their rights, formulation and enforcement of stringent laws, and provision of elaborate and easily accessible support mechanisms along with social and religious taboos barring gender discrimination are indispensable to combat this menace.
Navigating the path forward involves prioritising girls’ education, creating job-friendly environments, promoting equal pay and fair treatment at the workplace, combating violence and fostering equality and a legislative framework supported by an effective enforcement mechanism.
The statistics in the Pakistan SDGs Report 2021 characterise the real lives, expectations and scruffles of about 48.54% of the country’s total population. These are the most cherished dreams witnessed in the bewildered eyes of the young girl longing for quality education, the woman yearning for economic freedom and financial inclusion, and the resilient survivor seeking justice after suffering atrocities. Their unforgettable tales restate that the quest for gender egalitarianism is not just about realising numerical goals, it’s about transmuting lives, building a society based on justice and fairness as its hallmark, and last but not the least, uncapping the full potential of Pakistan for sustainable growth.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2024.
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