Gallup study on gender equality 34pc Pakistanis believe women don’t work

ISLAMABAD: Gallup’s latest study on gender equality reveals that 34% of Pakistanis believe women don’t work, while 24% believe that women who are employed are paid less than men.

However, 21% of the respondents believe that women will have more job opportunities in 2024, which is 25% less than those who believe that women will have fewer job opportunities (46%).

In addition, 14% of males believe that women get paid more than men, whereas only 1% of women hold the same opinion. Almost half of the respondents hold the opinion that women have fewer opportunities (46%), whereas 21% believe that they have more opportunities.

Interestingly, Pakistan ranks 9th in the list of top 15 countries where women have more opportunities, with 16%. Ivory Coast tops the list with 40%, followed by the Philippines at 30% and India at 27%, according to Gallup’s latest study in collaboration with the Annual WIN World Survey.

Gallup Pakistan conducted a comprehensive study on gender equality, safety, and violence in collaboration with the Worldwide Independent Network of MR (WIN) for the Annual WIN World Survey.

The survey, conducted with a diverse and representative sample of the Pakistani population, explores the opinions and beliefs surrounding gender equality, safety, and violence in Pakistan.

Regarding perceptions regarding women’s salaries, the majority consensus is that women do not work (34%) and hence are not salaried.

However, one has to be aware of the local context, which could mean that perhaps women are not employed within the formal economy but are still a significant part of the informal economy. Additionally, there is a significant difference in the perception of women’s salaries by the gender of the respondent.

Fourteen percent of males believe that women get paid more than men, whereas only 1% of women hold the same opinion.

Furthermore, almost half of the respondents hold the opinion that women have fewer opportunities (46%), whereas 21% believe that they have more opportunities. However, the gender breakdown signifies a difference in perspective between males and females on this subject.

Six percent more males believe that women have more opportunities (22%), compared to females (16%). This could signify a difference in the lived experiences of women compared to the perceived experiences of men.

In terms of the region, APAC (Asia Pacific) has the highest percentage of those who perceive women’s salaries to be equal to men (45%), compared to MENA (Middle East and North Africa) with the lowest percentage (19%).

Concerning countries with the perception that women’s salaries are higher, Finland tops the list with 29%, followed by Nigeria with 28%.