A report on empowering women in South Asia pointed out that South Asia has made considerable progress in improving capabilities of women in education and health, but women's access to economic and political opportunities and justice system remains limited. The Mahbub-ul-Haq Center's 19th annual report was launched recently at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). The event was chaired by Syeda Henna Babar Ali, Advisor to Consumer Products Division Packages Ltd and Khadija Haq, President of the Human Development Centre, delivered the keynote address and former Justice Nasira Iqbal presented the report.
The ceremony was addressed by Syed Iqbal Riza, Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General, Dr Arifa Syeda Zehra, former chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women, Khawar Mumtaz, chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women, and Dr Nida Yasmeen Kirmani, Associate Professor of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, LUMS.
The report showed that every country in South Asia has made progress in enhancing women's capabilities and opportunities in South Asia. The report also pointed out that female literacy and school enrolment have improved, but the region is facing problems of out-of-school children, low access of women to vocational education, poor quality of learning, and wide disparities across income and social groups. The report also said that female health has improved with an increase of four years in life expectancy, 48.5 percent decline in maternal mortality ratio, and more than half of South Asian women with access to skilled birth attendants and contraception.
However, five out of every 10 women are suffering from anemia and there are only 91 girls for every 100 boys against the biological norm of 105 girls per 100 boys. In economic empowerment, although female labour force participation has increased in most countries, majority of women work in low quality jobs and get lower wages. According to the report, women's participation in parliament has increased due to affirmative actions and quotas in several countries but their presence remains low in judiciary, police, civil service jobs, cabinet and decision making positions.
The report also said that on legal empowerment all countries have formulated or amended a large number of laws regarding family matters, violence against women and employment, however the implementation of existing law is very poor across the region. The report will also launch in India and Bangladesh with collaboration of UN-ESCAP South and South-West Asia Office, New Delhi, and Institute of Governance Studies, BRAC University, Dhaka. The Mahbub-ul-Haq Center has produced 19 annual reports so far. Each report was launched by distinguished guests.