Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, once said, ‘’No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you’’. It is inevitably an evident truth that a society prospers only when its women participate in its growth along with men, as they play a significant role in the development of a country. Women and their role in the prosperity of a country can also be known from the fact that women cover half of the sky, which means they constitute slightly more than half of the world population, and their contribution to the social and economic development of societies is also more than half as compared to that of men by virtue of their dual roles in the productive and reproductive roles.
For sustainable development and economic prosperity of the country, the role of women in the economy cannot be neglected. Let’s explore what women’s economic empowerment is, the importance of women’s involvement in the economic sector, the benefits of increasing female participation in this sector and the problems they face that hinder their participation.
According to UN , “Women’s economic empowerment means ensuring women can equally participate in and benefit from decent work and social protection; access markets and have control over resources, their own time, lives, and bodies; and increased voice, agency, and meaningful participation in economic decision-making at all levels, from the household to international institutions.”
The importance of women’s economic participation can be noted from the study conducted at Harvard Kennedy School. According to that study, ‘’Greater women’s economic participation is important because women typically reinvest up to 90 percent of their earnings in their families and communities compared to only 30 to 40 percent among men. This in turn can help expedite development and overcome societal poverty.’’ This study highlights how women’s economic participation leads to their empowerment; it not only makes them financially independent, but this empowerment also contributes to broader societal changes by promoting gender equality and social justice, which are two of the basic human rights that lie at the heart of development, and through this, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) can be achieved too, which is dedicated to the empowerment of women and gender equality. Moreover, this gender equality would significantly contribute to the higher economic growth rates shown in the studies.
The impact of women’s empowerment has been shown to have a catalytic effect on human capital development, and it also improves social outcomes of the next generation because investing in their education and in acquiring skills enhances the chances of quality participation in the workforce, and this would contribute to economic growth and development. Similarly, women who are economically active and educated are more likely to invest in the well-being and education of their children, and this education in the labor market would further contribute to economic expansion and progress.
Pakistan has approximately 50 percent of the women’s population, but their participation in the country’s labor force is significantly lower than that of men. Female labor force participation in Pakistan is 23 percent compared with 43 percent in Bangladesh. The rate of female entrepreneurship in Pakistan is only 4 percent, in contrast to 7.2 percent in Bangladesh and 14 percent in India. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge their abilities, skills, and productivity and to understand the challenges and barriers they face.The unemployment profile of Pakistan, categorized by age and gender, reveals that the highest rate of unemployment, at 11.1 percent, is for the youth aged 15-24, with 10.0 percent for males and 14.4 percent for females. The second highest unemployment rate is seen in the 25-34 age group, with a rate of 7.3 percent, with 5.4 percent for males and 13.3 percent for females.
Women’s participation in economic growth is essential for achieving sustainable development and prosperity but they face various problems that hinder their participation. There is an issue of gender pay bias, and this is proven by the evidence of a Gender Wage Gap UN Women study. Moreover, Pakistani society is mostly dominated by the patriarchy, and the earning of a woman is not appreciated because if a woman earns more than a man, then it challenges the traditional norm of a man being the sole breadwinner. Furthermore, at workplaces, women face harassment related to promotions and other power dynamics, driven by a troika of misogyny, patriarchy, and structural suppression. In addition to these, balancing work and family life can be difficult for women, who often shoulder a greater burden of household and caregiving duties. This challenge is compounded by the lack of affordable childcare and workplace policies that support family needs.
To sum up, as we all know, women’s participation in the economic sector plays a pivotal role in the prosperity of the country so efforts are needed to address the mentioned barriers that hinder women’s economic activities and also implement those strategies that promote gender equality because women’s economic empowerment is beneficial for all.
The author holds a Masters degree in History from the University of Karachi and is looking forward to pursuing higher studies in public administration and advancing Sustainable Development in her home country through historical analysis of socioeconomic challenges. She is committed to making innovative policy solutions as a policymaker, policy analyst, or policy researcher. Areas of interest also include leadership, diplomacy, and foreign policy. She is currently serving as an Intern researcher at Asian Politico.
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