Pakistan\u2019s position at the very bottom of the World Economic Forum\u2019s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index for 2025 is a profound national disgrace. With an overall parity score of just 56.7 per cent, down from last year\u2019s 57 per cent, Pakistan ranks 148th out of the 148 countries assessed. This marks the second consecutive annual decline in gender parity, underscoring persistent discrimination across all key dimensions: economic participation, education, health, and political empowerment.
\nTo put it plainly, this pervasive inequality is a daily betrayal of half our population, crushing aspirations and leaving immense potential untapped. No country can genuinely thrive when fundamental rights and opportunities are systematically denied to its women.
\nPolitically, women\u2019s voices remain alarmingly suppressed. Our nation\u2019s political empowerment parity dropped sharply from 12.2 per cent in 2024 to 11 per cent this year. While parliamentary representation rose slightly, women in ministerial positions plummeted from 5.9 per cent to nearly zero. Pakistan now maintains an all-male ministerial cabinet, a potent symbol of exclusion. With true representation elusive, half the population has no meaningful say. The state must actively foster women\u2019s leadership, moving beyond merely filling reserved seats.
\nEconomic participation presents an equally bleak picture. Pakistan\u2019s economic participation and opportunity index fell by 1.3 per cent. Women comprise a mere 22.8 per cent of Pakistan\u2019s labour force, with few in leadership roles. Most toil in the informal sector under harsh exploitation. Pakistan must invest in women\u2019s skills, enforce anti-harassment and equal-pay laws, and support female entrepreneurship.
\nIn educational attainment, Pakistan recorded a modest 1.5 percentage point gain, raising parity to 85.1 per cent. However, this improvement at the university level was partially due to a decline in male enrollment, not solely a significant surge in female participation. This fragile progress is insufficient to offset broader systemic inequalities. An estimated 25 million Pakistani children, disproportionately girls, remain out of school. Poverty and entrenched conservative norms frequently force girls into domestic labour instead of classrooms. Basic healthcare also fails women, with maternal mortality rates among the world\u2019s highest and family planning access woefully inadequate. Unless fundamental barriers are dismantled, the gender gap will only widen. Concrete reforms, including free tuition for girls and accessible clinics, are desperately needed.
\nUltimately, this crisis is deeply rooted in culture and accountability. Pakistan\u2019s entrenched patriarchy, where the common woman fights for survival even at home, needs a direct challenge. Schools, media, religious leaders, and government must promote rights and enforce legal protections. As Daily Times has consistently warned, no country can genuinely progress by keeping half of its population out of the mainstream. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan\u2019s position at the very bottom of the World Economic Forum\u2019s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index for 2025 is a profound national disgrace. With an overall parity score of just 56.7 per cent, down from last year\u2019s 57 per cent, Pakistan ranks 148th out of the 148 countries assessed. This marks the second consecutive annual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-484392","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n