As the world celebrated International Women’s Day this year, Pakistan remained at crossroads.

The founder of this nation, who proposed women working side by side with men, would have been utterly disappointed to see how far we have strayed away from his vision. Seven decades since its formation, Pakistan has managed to score the second lowest rank in the Global Gender Gap Index, standing at 146th position.

This is three steps down from last year, marking a step back in an era where women empowerment remains highly relevant. With a female population of 116 million in the fifth most populous country of the world, women only constitute a meager 23% of the workforce. These figures point towards a system that systematically excludes women from the economy.

Whilst Pakistan struggles with gender empowerment, regional counterparts have shown mixed results.

India, ranked 129th, has closed 64.1% of its gender gap in 2024, with female labour force participation at 45.9%, far above Pakistan’s 23%, but still undermined by wage gaps and low managerial representation. Bangladesh, despite being ranked at 99, has the lowest economic participation in the world at 31.1%, due to worsening income inequality and shrinking labor force participation.

In a post-pandemic world, several factors have contributed to gender equality reversals this year, particularly for Pakistan. With unemployment hitting 22% recently, many women have lost their livelihoods, taking on unpaid care-giving responsibilities, whilst enduring gender based violence.

The rising energy costs, coupled with climate change have also affected women more than men, especially in rural areas, where over a half of the female population lives.

Agriculture, which constitutes a major chunk of our economy, has more female workers than male. In........

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