Women Rights, Equality a long way to go

Every year, Pakistan joins the world to mark March 8, International Women day and rally for women rights and for bringing about collective social change based on the principles of inclusion, dignity, freedom, and equality.

Pakistan is among the few countries where the population of women is almost equal to that of men. But still the participation of female in economic, social and political system is far less than that of the men.

According to the World Economic Forum 2020 report, Pakistan ranks 150 out of 153 countries in Global Gender Gap Index. We as a nation are even far behind than Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in the region.

According to the 2020 report of WEC, in term of women empowerment Pakistan ranks 151 out of 153 countries. In education attainment, political empowerment of women, Pakistan ranks 143 and 93 respectively.

Where does Pakistan stand on Women Rights and Equality?

As per the 2020 report Pakistan’s ranking is 151 out of 154 countries on gender equality. Bangladesh and India are at 134 and 127 respectively. Similarly, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India are0.750, 0.881 and 0.841 respectively on Gender Development Index.

According to Aurat Foundation, a Non-Government Organisation working for rights of women during the annual reporting year July 2018-June 2019, violence against women and girls including rape, so-called honour killings, acid attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage remained a serious problem.

Meanwhile the Human Rights Watch reported that early marriage remained a serious problem, with 21 percent of girls in Pakistan marrying before the age of 18, and 3 percent marrying before age 15.

Honour killing statistics show there were 1,276 such murders between 2014 and 2016 besides the recent murder of four women in South Waziristan.

The federal and provincial governments of Pakistan are continuously formulating laws for the protection of women rights across the country but still a long way to implement the laws and rules made for the protection of women.

For implementation of women protection laws all sections of Pakistani society have to join hands, though with more educated women, awareness among the masses regarding women rights, there is a ray of hope for better future.

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