Pakistan's Gender Gap Falls To Second Worst Among 146 Countries In Latest WEF Index

The annual index evaluates gender parity across four critical dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, health and survival, educational attainment, and political empowerment.

Pakistan which slipped to the 145th position highlighted the worsening situation for women. (Photo: Pixabay)

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The World Economic Forum’s (WEF's) latest Global Gender Gap Index has revealed that Pakistan is almost at the bottom of the list, with only Sudan ranking lower among 146 that were surveyed. 

Women’s rights activists in Pakistan have issued pleas for both state and societal commitment to effectively address gender disparities. They emphasised the need to redefine roles dictated to Pakistani women by the society and government. 

The annual index evaluates gender parity across four critical dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, health and survival, educational attainment, and political empowerment.

“This year’s dismal ranking is not an anomaly; Pakistan has consistently lagged in the index for over a decade,” stated Bushra Khaliq, Executive Director of Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE).

When it comes to economic participation and opportunities, Pakistan stands in the 143rd position. Its rank is 139th in educational attainment, and 112th for political empowerment.  In health and survival, Pakistan is ranked 132nd. 

According to the WEF report, Pakistan’s drop in overall rank is mainly due to setbacks in political empowerment, but there have been slight improvements in educational attainment.

"Recent political manoeuvres have targeted women leaders and activists, undermining their role and impact," Farah Zia, Director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said while highlighting the challenges faced by women in mainstream politics. 

Zia noted that, despite the 33% quota in the parliament, genuine representation remains elusive for women who are not affiliated with influential political families or urban centres.

While speaking on economic roles, Bushra Khaliq acknowledged that there was progress in the textiles and fashion sectors, but mentioned exploitation in the informal sector. She said that women in the country worked in “precarious conditions, limiting their economic empowerment”.

The statistics are alarming when it comes to the health sector, as there are reports of high maternal mortality rates and inadequate reproductive health services for women across Pakistan. 

Approximately 25 million out-of-school children, mostly girls, lacked access to basic education when education barriers were looked at closely, the report said.