By Pakistan’s ranking in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2024 has slipped to 145th out of 146 countries, highlighting persistent challenges in achieving gender equality.
The report, released by Mishal Pakistan, the WEF’s partner institute in the country, found that Pakistan has made some progress in educational attainment but faces significant gaps in economic participation, political empowerment, and health.
“Pakistan’s performance is a stark reminder of the gender disparities that hinder our progress,” said Amir Jahangir, CEO of Mishal Pakistan. “More effective gender empowerment initiatives are urgently needed.”
The report calls for the government to prioritize policies that increase women’s participation in the workforce, ensure equal access to education, and boost their representation in leadership roles.
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Pakistan lags behind in South Asia
While Pakistan ranks seventh in South Asia, the region itself has the lowest score in economic participation and opportunity. There are significant disparities in labor force participation and leadership roles for women.
Global progress stalls
The global gender gap has narrowed slightly to 68.5 per cent, but progress has slowed compared to previous years. At this rate, it will take 134 years to achieve full parity, far exceeding the UN’s sustainable development goal target of 2030.
Iceland leads the ranking with 93.5 per cent closure, followed by mostly European countries. Health and education gaps are close to being closed globally, but economic participation and political empowerment remain more challenging, with significant variations between regions.
The WEF report urges governments, businesses, and civil society to work together to accelerate progress on gender equality. In Pakistan, this means targeted policies to empower women economically, educationally, and politically.
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