Nargis Ashraf Abro
Women in rural areas of Sindh face significant economic challenges, including lower earn-ings, limited property and land rights, lack of financial access, low education or no education and restricted decision-making.
Despite legal rights and efforts towards empowerment, wom-en and girls still suffer on many counts. Problems stem from systemic discrimination, cultural norms and barriers to education and services, which reduce productivity and trap them in po-verty.
Women make up nearly half of Sindh’s population, but they bear the brunt of economic pres-sures. Economic inequality for women in Sindh is severe, marked by high female unemploy-ment, unprotected work with lower wages, discriminatory laws and economic policies that sideline women and overall economic power despite high education levels.
According to the research report of Pakistan Intellectual Forum (PIF) in Sindh, the gender disparity in education is a significant challenge, with recent data indicating that millions of girls—more girls than boys—are out of school, highlighting a serious gap in access to educa-tion. While some progress has been made in different segments of society, to achieve gender equality, Sindh, Pakistan today, requires sustained effort to address both systemic and socie-tal barriers. Women in the rural areas of Sindh face unequal access to resources like land and credit and experience a disproportionate impact from economic downturns.
Even in this digital age, illiteracy and deep-rooted patriarchal norms and practices continue to limit women’s full participation in socioeconomic and political spheres. Why are practical steps not being taken to ensure gender justice and address the gap in economics—unequal land rights, providing access to credit and supporting women in agriculture?
The provincial government must ensure the rights of women and girls in all respects and ac-complish these goals, such as creating a favorable environment for the development of a woman’s personality and the restoration of her rights, both material and intellectual; the pro-tection of mothers, particularly during pregnancy and child-rearing; the protection of children without guardians; strengthening competent courts to protect and preserve the family; the provision of special insurance for widows, senior women and women without support; and granting the guardianship of children to worthy mothers in order to protect the interests of the children in the absence of a legal guardian.
Pragmatic initiatives should also be taken to encourage women’s leadership in local bodies such as Chairperson, Union Council, Chairperson, Town Committee, Chairperson and Dis-trict Council. Only sincere practical steps can promote the desired gender equity for better economic performance.
While there has been some progress, challenges still remain critical to achieving substantive equality between women and men. In order to achieve the target, the provincial government needs to be creative in renewing and revising strategies and approaches. Otherwise, the aims of achieving gender equality might remain elusive and a distant dream.
—The writer is a team member of PIF (Pakistan Intellectual Forum) and contributes regularly to different dailies.
