Photo by Rahat Dar
Women population in Pakistan is around 49 per cent of the total population. It has a significant role to play in the economy. Over the years, women have ventured and excelled in many fields. However, certain impediments continue to hinder their full participation.
Workforce surveys and statistics show that historically the labour participation rate of women has remained below 20 per cent or slightly above it. The 2020 figures put it just above 22 per cent although the number might have come down due to Covid-19 related economic slowdown.
However, this figure represents only the women employed in the formal sector. In the informal sector, meanwhile, women are employed in large numbers. They dominate agriculture, home based work and domestic work but their contributions are not adequately acknowledged or properly valued in terms of the remunerations they get.