Lack of proper policies is a major hurdle in bringing women into productive workforce and a change in mindset is needed for a paradigm shift to make Pakistan competitive for facing challenges upfront, says Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) study.
The study on "Economic empowerment of women in Pakistan and its linkages with competitiveness and economic growth" urges for a change in attitude of the employers towards women employment, in particular, to help Pakistan address key issues such as poverty, unemployment and women participation in decision-making process at the government level.
The study covers almost all wide ranging issues of women economic empowerment both in rural and urban areas, besides taking into account serious problems faced by women workers in Pakistan. It gives comparatively clear picture of the society and urges to the decision-makers at all levels for positive change towards women hiring for different jobs, besides putting an end to discrimination in wages on gender basis.
It claims that PIHS and UFS assessments contradict each other to make things regarding women participation in economic activities more confusing and calls for a specific study of different major sector such as agriculture to evaluate the women role in economic activities. The study urges to create environment for women's participation in economic activities to enhance their earning through a competitive process. It highlights the importance of security, social safeguards proper training to make women useful workers at different level to achieve the end goal.
It is of the view that agriculture sector alone can change the whole paradigm of labour participation. The two most significant differences relate to the provision of other services and manufacturing. If the PIHS estimate is correct the women of Pakistan, especially in urban areas are more heavily involved in the provision of services than the LFS estimates suggest. Similarly, women are more heavily involved in manufacturing than these same LFS estimates suggest. This is an area that requires more specific study in the context of changing patterns of work in urban Pakistan society because it challenges the conventional wisdom that urban women are not actively involved in economic based activities.
It includes an action plan for practical steps that focuses on improvements to agricultural productivity such as reduction in post-harvest losses or increased milk production. Indeed cross-national comparisons are strongly suggestive of investment strategies that focus on the non-agricultural sector.
In some sectors such as the software development industry companies in Pakistan have proved highly competitive on an international basis. The industry needs 7,000 graduates per year at current growth rates but just 5,000 graduates are produced but all companies argue that only one-fifth of these graduates are competitive and well-trained. It would be useful and interesting to compare and contrast the quality of IT education in Pakistan with neighbouring countries.
The study claims that In Pakistan it is still very difficult for most women to successfully juggle such competing demands, not least of all because they are not encouraged to do so by lack of pro-gender employment policies that the government also has to have some hand in formulating.
It notes that other areas where females are conspicuous by their absence in the paid workforce include the hospitality (to include travel and tourism) industry. Pakistan performs very poorly in this area. The study clearly indicates that it does not advocate male employees be made redundant to take on female employees. Instead, what the study is arguing for is a change in attitude by employers in the hospitality industry.