Pakistan has a total population of 227.7 million, of whom 112 million are women. The country currently has the highest percentage of young people (ages 15-29) ever in its history. These numbers underline the necessity for Pakistan to invest in its demographic wealth, e.g., through quality education and employment opportunities. In doing so, it is essential to place a special focus on young women, whom we know do not have access to the same opportunities.
Across the world, Pakistan’s ranking for gender equality remains one of the lowest and is ranked on place 153 out of 156 countries by the Global Gender Gap Report 2021. Among other factors, the report considers topics such as economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health / survival and political empowerment.
Considering that the majority of adolescent women grow up in rural areas, the article’s perspective will thus be the one of a woman from this geographical dimension. To be noted, as in many countries, there are significant differences between rural and urban location statistic, and they are not to be generalized.
Sometimes, even before their birth girls may already be seen as a burden. Indeed, there is a societal preference for sons, who traditionally take care of their parents later in life. Daughters are often considered as an economic liability, requiring an expensive dowry to marry them off. The proportion of abortions for female babies is significantly higher than that of males even though the procedure is officially illegal in the country.
Cultural and religious values, mostly stemming from prevailing Islamic beliefs, as well as local traditions, influence the upbringing and adolescence of women. These are often myths and misconceptions based on containing information to them about reproductive health in order to preserve their “purity”. One example is menstruation, where myths such as “don't bath, don't touch or drink cold water, don't eat spicy food” are common. UNICEF, in a partnership with the Women Empowerment Group, is working together with religious leaders in the country to overcome such myths.
The likelihood of a young girl growing up in rural Pakistan going to school is relatively low, even more so in rural areas. According to an UNICEF report from 2017 daughters from poor village families do not even spend an entire year in school on average. In addition, it is reported that 43% of teenage girls are neither in school, nor in further education or in employment. The social environment (family, community, religion) affirms norms that give precedence to marriage over education and employment.
But even before the women in our example could be married off, she will already depend on her male family members for most decisions of her life. This spans from aspects such as economic opportunities and finances to healthcare and ultimately whom she is going to marry. With the underlying idea of protecting their honor, many men forbid women to leave the house, and if they do go out, they are often supervised. It is therefore common in Pakistan for women to take up work that can be done from home. If she did work in the informal sector of so-called “Home-Based Workers”, she is most likely subject to lower income and has no access to legal protection and social security.
Considering now that she would have had access to higher education, it is more difficult for women to enter and remain in the labor market than for men. For women with low levels of education, these limitations are even greater. Often this is due to gaps in their ambitions and lack of knowledge about opportunities. Many women also fear opposition from their family and community if they pursued work outside the home. Traditional codes of honor also influence career choices and create barriers to jobs that are not considered socially acceptable.
By law, women have been allowed to vote in elections since 1956, and they have also been able to hold high office, such as Benazir Bhutto, the first woman to be elected prime minister of Pakistan and therefore the first to have been re-elected for a second mandate. While there are laws to protect and empower girls and women, the problem is often attributed to the negligence of government agencies in implementing laws and the widespread underperformance of law enforcement agencies such as the police. As a result, cases of rape, honor killing, murder, and forced marriages are still reported, especially in poorer and less educated areas and underline the need for further measures to protect and improve the social status of women, especially young ones.
Article by Lena Burkhard
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