According to a recent World Bank report, “Women, Business and the Law 2022”, Pakistani women face a disparity in legal equality in pay, marriage, and property inheritance. To counter these issues, the report strongly suggests Pakistan bring more improvements in legal equality for women.
The report is structured around the life cycle of working women, and covers 190 economies. It scores Pakistan at 55.6 out of 100, which is stated to be lower than the regional average, observed across South Asia. The highest score is given to Nepal in the South Asian region, with 80.6 out of 100.
The report suggested the following areas in which Pakistan can improve to strengthen women’s labor force participation:
- constraints on freedom of movement
- laws affecting women’s pay
- constraints related to marriage
- laws affecting women’s work after having children
- limitations on women starting and running a business
- gender differences in property and inheritance
- regulations affecting the size of a women’s pension
For example, Pakistan can improve the indicator measuring laws affecting women’s work after having children by making the government administer 100 percent of maternity leave benefits, making paid leave available to fathers, making paid parental leave available, and prohibiting the dismissal of pregnant women workers.
Even though there is plenty of room for improvement, Pakistan received a perfect score of 100 regarding laws affecting women’s decisions to work. From October 2020 to October 2021, Pakistan has lifted restrictions on women’s ability to work at night. It also pointed out that Pakistan did not allow women to register a business similarly to men.
Following are a few takeaway points from the report:
- As estimated by The World Bank, globally, differences between men’s and women’s total expected lifetime earnings were $172.3 trillion, equivalent to twice the world GDP.
- 2.4 billion working-age women were not offered an equal economic opportunity; 178 countries maintained legal barriers that prevented their full economic participation.
- In 86 countries across the globe, women faced some form of job restriction, and 95 countries did not guarantee equal pay for equal work.
- Globally, women still had only three-quarters of the legal rights afforded to men — an aggregate score of 76.5 out of a possible 10.
- The most considerable improvements in the WBL Index are shown in the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa regions.
- The highest number of reforms were made in the Parenthood, Pay, and Workplace indicators across the globe.
- Out of 190, only 118 economies guaranteed 14 weeks of paid leave for mothers.
International Women’s Day 2022: Here’s How Pakistani Women #BreaktheBias by Excelling in their Field, & Breaking Stereotypes. Read the full story here:
Almost 60% of the women experience bias at work, whether deliberate or unconscious; bias makes it harder for women to get hired and promoted – and negatively impacts their day-to-day work experiences. (@leaninorg). his International women’s day, let’s imagine a gender-equal world. The theme of this year is Break the Bias, which promotes a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination against women.
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