Women empowerment

LAHORE: Women in Pakistan have historically faced various socio-cultural barriers that limit their participation in the economy. These barriers include gender stereotypes, limited access to education and skills development, discriminatory practices, and cultural norms that restrict women’s mobility and decision-making power.

Despite these challenges, women have made progress in certain sectors and have been increasingly participating in Pakistan’s economy. Educated and skilled women are faring relatively better. The uneducated and unskilled women that are larger in number are facing higher discrimination and exploitation.

Although women still face entry level barriers in primary education, those who manage to overcome this initial barrier have made significant strides in the education sector, both as students and professionals.

The gender gap in education has narrowed, and women now constitute a substantial portion of university students and graduates. This progress in education has contributed to the emergence of educated women in various fields.

In rural Pakistan, women are denied education and remain side-lined from mainstream economic activities.

Women have been actively involved in the healthcare sector in Pakistan. Many women work as doctors, nurses, paramedics, and healthcare professionals, providing vital services across the country. They play a crucial role in improving access to healthcare, especially in rural areas. The profession of nursing is also dominated by women.

Banking and finance in Pakistan has witnessed a growing number of women professionals.

Women have been employed as bankers, financial analysts, accountants, and in various other roles within the sector. Efforts have been made to promote financial inclusion and women’s access to financial services, leading to increased opportunities.

Although the IT sector in Pakistan is still male-dominated, women have shown progress in this field. There has been a rise in the number of women pursuing careers in software development, graphic design, digital marketing, and other IT-related roles. Initiatives and organisations promoting women’s involvement in technology have played a role in this progress.

Women entrepreneurship has been on the rise in Pakistan. Many women have started their own businesses and have become successful entrepreneurs, particularly in sectors such as fashion, cosmetics, e-commerce, and handicrafts.

Various support programmes, incubators, and organisations have encouraged and facilitated women's entrepreneurship in the country.

It is important to note that despite progress in these sectors, gender disparities and challenges persist.

The main reason in this regard is that progress towards women empowerment in Pakistan is mainly restricted to urban centres. Sixty five percent of our population lives in rural regions, it implies that gender disparity in Pakistan exists at a high level.

Successful governments have made efforts to address these issues and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan's economy.

However the efforts of bureaucrats in this regard are restricted to big cities.

Policies and initiatives focusing on education, skills development, access to finance, and creating an enabling environment are crucial for further enhancing women’s participation and economic empowerment.

Smaller cities like Sialkot and Gujranwala have produced a number of male entrepreneurs that started their business at micro level and have graduated to medium and large enterprises.

However, it is rare to see a woman entrepreneur that started from micro level and graduated her concern into a small or medium enterprise.

Women from affluent class that started on a small scale and are doing flourishing business owe their success at least partly to the influence exerted by their male family members.

This is not meant to take away the credit from their success but the point is that it is almost impossible for a woman without influence in Pakistan to increase her business beyond a certain limit while males have been able to do so.