As the globe marks International Women’s Day, Pakistan’s own celebration reflects its complex landscape of gender rights activism amid cultural conservatism.
The UN Resident Coordinator Office in Pakistan, UN Women, and the Embassy of Denmark recently hosted a gala with a potent message: “Empowering Women: A Smart Investment for Pakistan.” Parallel to these formal celebrations, the grassroots Aurat March on March 8th took place. Since 2018 this protest became a national movement against gender violence and systemic impunity. Every year this march typically triggers strong hostility. This year, right-wing religious parties staged modesty rallies calling for the protection of Islamic values.
Delving deeper to understand the status of women in Pakistan, it is evident that there are positive strides. For instance, Pakistan’s parliament has passed a bill that significantly strengthens protections for women in the workplace against violence and harassment. This amendment improves upon the far weaker 2010 law. Additionally, Pakistan stands out as the only South Asian country to see an improvement in the Women, Business and Law Index from 55.6 to 58.8 according to the World Bank – making it an outlier in South Asia for its progress. However, these strides coexist with significant challenges.
In terms of political participation, representation is notably lacking, as women occupy a mere 12 out of 266 directly elected parliamentary seats. Additionally, women’s voter turnout has seen increases, yet a significant number remain excluded from participating in politics.
In the educational sector, only a fraction of girls—less than 10%—completed secondary school, which hampers their future economic participation, according to the Pakistan Demographic Survey 2020. This limited educational access contributes to women’s workforce involvement being remarkably low, with just 21% of Pakistani women employed. The situation is further exacerbated in the transition to the labour market, where a substantial gap persists: while 83% of educated adult men are part of the labour force, only 30% of their female counterparts can say the same. The digital gender gap further hampers progress, with women lagging in mobile phone ownership (37% compared to 89% for men) and internet access (20% for women versus 51% for men).
Photo Credit: UN National Report on Status of Women 2023
Financial inclusion presents another critical challenge. A staggering 79% of Pakistan’s population, according to the World Bank’s Global Findex Database, operates outside the formal banking system. For women, the statistics are even more dire—only 13% own bank accounts, the fourth-lowest percentage worldwide. This issue is partly because roughly 75% of Pakistani women are not part of the formal employment sector, often categorized as housewives and homemakers dependent on the incomes of male family members. Even those women who are formally employed, a mere 16% hold personal bank accounts.
Disturbingly, violence against women remains pervasive. The latest Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey estimated that 28 per cent of women in Pakistan have “experienced physical violence” by the age of 50. In the most recent Women, Peace and Security Index—a measure of women’s well-being and their empowerment in homes, communities, and societies—Pakistan was ranked among the world’s 12 worst-performing countries. Human rights watch statistics reveal that around 1,000 women fall victim to “honour killings” annually. Moreover, early and forced marriages, particularly affecting religious minority communities, continue unabated.
Photo Credit: UN National Report on Status of Women 2023
A recent report by the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) reports that in 2023, rape cases saw an average of four women per week, surpassing the previous year’s numbers. Shockingly, an average of 13 women per month lost their lives in honour killings in 2023. Comparing 2023 to 2022 showed increases in honour killings (136 to 96), kidnapping cases (1,500 to 1,349), and domestic violence cases (350 to 346). Additionally, reported cases of rape and sexual assault stood at 165 in 2023 down from 200 in 22; workplace harassment cases numbered 73 in 23, to 94 in 22. On top of this, the conviction rate for rape stands at less than 3%. Recent incidents like the rape in Islamabad have sparked national outrage shedding light on the broader issue of violence against women.
Pakistan is ranked 142 out of 146 in the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Gender Gap Index, showing a slight improvement from its previous rank of 145 in 2022. This highlights the persistent inequalities that require immediate attention to advance gender equality.
These statistics reveal the stark reality of women’s status in Pakistan. Although the newly elected parties have put their idealistic manifestos for gender equality, we have to wait and see if these promises will be fulfilled in the future.
