FOCUS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN DEVELOPMENT.

Byline: S. KAMAL HAYDER KAZMI

The government officials revealed that Pakistan had a Gender Inequality Index (GII) ranking of 133 in the 2017. It is not an encouraging sign that female participating in the labour market is also declining with the passage of time, viz, from 15.8 percent in FY2015 to 14.5 percent in 2017-18. Furthermore, the Labour Force Survey 2017-18, showed that women are concentrated in agriculture with a share of 67 percent, while in manufacturing they have a share of 16 percent and in community and personal services they have a share of 14.6 percent.

In the case of occupational groups, women are mostly working as skilled agricultural workers 55 percent, elementary/unskilled workers 18 percent, and craft and related trade workers 14 percent. The economists registered that women empowerment and gender equality is significant on the agenda of the government. The longterm national planning framework commits to pursuing women empowerment as a main priority areaacross all sectors of planning and development.

It focuses on offering an enabling environment to every woman to develop their full potential to equally reap the advantages of economic and social development in Pakistan. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also recognizes the significance of empowering women and Goal-5 is dedicated to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

The targetsfor this goal aspire to end all forms of discrimination, eliminate violence against women and girls inall its manifestations like; ensure health and reproductive rights, ensure political, social andeconomic participation of women. The other targets are of particular significance for enabling women's economic empowerment. Sources recorded that the present government is completely cognizant of its constitutional responsibilities for protecting the rights of the women.

Many measures have been taken for gender and women development in the country. The measures include allocation of resources in Public Sector Development Program for promotion and protection of women through Human Rights and development initiatives. However, the impact of socio-cultural attitudes on women's lives sometimes undermines their progress and status in society. The government officials also recorded that the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection of Women against harassment at workplace has been organized and is functional at federal and provincial level.

The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), a...

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