BY

Saira Akhtar

Working Women
Women consists about half (50.86%) of the total

population of Pakistan (i.e. 32.37% rural and 18.5% urban). Women are performing their role as doctors, teachers, lawyers, and many other fields of life. According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, female labour force participation has jumped from 16.3% in 2000 to 24.4% in 2011. That jump represents an extra seven million women in the work force.

Cont
Seven million women is not a number to be trifled with:

while women have yet to crack the glass ceiling in Pakistan. Education levels appear to be rising across the board. Fertility rates are hitting an all-time low virtually every year. Pakistani women are better educated and are less burdened with child-care than at any time in history. In 2008, it was recorded that 21.8 percent of females were participating in the labor force in Pakistan. The rate of women in the labor force has an annual growth rate of 6.5 percent.

The Other Side of the Picture

Despite all this improvements women are still lagging

behind men in almost all fields. The gross female participation rates in schools are still too low. The literacy rate of females in Pakistan is at 39.6 % compared to that of males at 67.7 %. Reported by one reliable survey at 45% at the primary level. About 32% at the middle level and 27% at the secondary level in the year 2000. (Ministry of Women Development 2005)

Some Facts and Figures

Percentage Distribution of Population 10 Years of Age and Above by Sex and Area
Country/Area Pakistan Rural Urban
2003-2004

Total 100.00 64.22 35.78

Male 50.86 32.37 18.50

Female 49.14 31.86 17.28

Statistics Division, Federal Bureau of Statistics. Labor Force Survey

Refined (and Improved) Labor Force Participation Rates: Provinces and Area
Province Area Total Male

Pakistan Rural Urban Balochistan Rural Urban KPK Rural Urban Punjab Rural Urban Sindh Rural Urban

43.7 46.3 39.2 40.0 42.0 34.0 37.2 37.5 35.7 47.0 49.9 41.0 40.5 43.6 37.8

70.6 72.6 67.1 68.1 71.5 58.1 65.7 66.0 64.3 71.8 73.6 68.5 70.8 75.8 66.4

Female (Improved participation rate) Total Female 15.9 55.3 39.3 19.5 62.9 52.7 9.4 41.7 14.5 7.6 56.4 42.6 8.2 62.6 52.1 5.9 37.8 14.0 10.2 57.7 50.0 10.8 61.1 56.2 7.1 41.4 18.5 21.8 55.0 37.8 26.4 61.1 48.5 12.3 42.8 16.0 6.6 54.5 36.1 7.4 70.5 64.3 5.9 40.6 11.7

Distribution of Workers in Industry by Gender (percent)

Agriculture Other Services Manufacture Construction Trade Transport
(World Bank 2006)

Rural Male Female 53.8 76.9 13.2 10.6 6.6 11.2 10.0 0.2 9.9 1.0 5.6 0.0

Urban Male Female 5.3 9.4 27.6 57.5 20.2 27.1 6.7 0.6 27.1 4.3 11.1 0.8

Source: Estimates using Pakistan Integrated Housing Survey 2001-2.

Problems Faced by Working Women

Cont
Women are performing their role as doctors, teachers,

lawyers, and many other fields of life. But still society is not giving them their legitimate status and working women are facing a lot of problems in Pakistan. They are ignored in the decision making process and they are not promoted to higher positions even if they deserve to be. Women in Pakistan also face problems like sexual abuse and physical harassment.

Cont
There has been recent legislation that has afforded

them protection but it has not been implemented properly. Women will not be able to utilize their talents properly if they do not feel safe in their workplace. An attitude change is needed across the board and a good first step to effect that would be to implement existing women-friendly legislation in letter and spirit.

Way Forward
Women should be involved in decision making at

household levels and at national level. Equitable political representation should be given to women. Difference in the wages of males and female laborers should be eliminated. Good and supportive working environment should be provided for working women. Laws of sexual and physical harassment should be implemented properly.

THANKS