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EDITORIAL: While one may come across an abundance of well-meaning rhetoric on the importance of women’s role within the family unit and society at large, these platitudes haven’t always translated into the practical efforts needed to recognise and foster women’s talents and capabilities.

As President Arif Alvi very rightly pointed out at the Women Leaders Awards held in Islamabad on February 25, achieving the goal of women empowerment won’t be possible without ensuring the provision of health and education facilities for nearly half the country’s population.

One would be hard pressed to find any example of a modern society that has been able to realise its full potential without equipping its female population with the tools necessary to thrive and actively participate in all aspects of community life, with the provision of education and health remaining paramount for societal development.

The low priority accorded to these vital sectors in our budgetary allocations has had multifaceted impacts on a variety of human development indices, resulting in a galloping population growth rate, perpetuating gender disparities and hindering economic progress.

While one regularly comes across reports of programmes launched by local and international stakeholders that aim at improving women’s access to vital resources in a bid to make them financially independent, such initiatives will only have the desired impact if there is also a corresponding change in the highly regressive societal and cultural lens through which women in Pakistan are viewed.

A case in point is the launch of the $50 million World Trade Organisation fund for female entrepreneurs in the developing world, of which Pakistan is set to be a recipient. This initiative, while most welcome, does raise questions about the ability of such schemes to address systemic barriers to women’s financial inclusion beyond initial funding injections.

While recent years have seen an increasing number of women entering the workforce in Pakistan, a female labour force participation rate of just 23 percent, one of the lowest rates of women’s entrepreneurship in the world at a mere four percent, and a significant gender finance gap that stands at 34 percent, leave a lot to be desired.

In addition, a female literacy rate of only 48 percent as of 2022, as well as rampant malnutrition and state of female health that does not contrast favourably with our South Asian neighbours have clearly contributed towards the adverse financial status of women, which consequently also has an obvious impact on women empowerment.

A plethora of reasons contributes to this state of affairs, not least our decidedly conservative cultural norms that relegate women’s needs and status within the household as subordinate to men. Whether it is to do with taking care of their nutritional needs, health and education requirements or the financial resources they may have at their disposal, in too many Pakistani households, what women require is too often sacrificed at the altar of gender norms and patriarchal traditions, relegating their needs and aspirations to a secondary status.

Our society and policymakers must realise that investing in women’s education and healthcare yields significant returns, with educated, healthy women more likely to make informed choices about their lives and contribute positively to their communities.

There is an urgent need to build upon previous efforts, and formulate policies and laws that fully protect women’s human rights, ensuring that more girls are enrolled in basic education and that healthcare services for women are made widely available. In addition, more social protection programmes on the lines of the Benazir Income Support Programme that prioritise women’s financial independence are the need of the hour.

It goes without saying that women’s roles are indispensable to any society’s development, and by recognising, valuing and investing in their empowerment, we can build a more resilient, equitable and prosperous country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

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