May 5, 2006	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 4: Speakers at the launch of the World Bank’s country gender assessment here on Thursday termed education the only prescription for gender equality in the country.

They said over the years female education had not been given due attention, due to which women despite having immense talent had failed to play their due role in the country’s development.

Speaking on the occasion, the author of the report, Tara Vishwanath, said a logical first step, which the report suggested, was to increase female enrolments in schools by bringing the facility to where girls lived or bringing girls safely to the institutions.

She said a long-term cultural change would come most powerfully from educating girls, adding that girls’ increasing enrolments would produce future local female teachers and health- care providers. To accomplish this, she added, girls first should feel safe enough to attend schools outside their communities.

This alone would likely unleash a process driven by women’s demand for greater opportunities and involvement in the public sphere. The report said only 46 percent of primary school-aged girls were enrolled in 2001-2002.

Restrictions on both physical mobility and access to information for women in Pakistan undercut their ability to acquire key services and pursue life opportunities.

The report examines economic opportunities in combination with cultural and social norms that determine outcomes for women. It said current restrictions on women’s movement outside home arose from concerns about their security and reputation.

The report suggested that by fostering a safer environment a positive cycle of increased female participation in the world beyond the household can be activated.

“Significant attention should also be given to women’s disadvantages in family law and inheritance, health outcomes, and labour force participation.”

The study also finds some good news. Gender equality and women’s participation in the national workforce has witnessed a steady improvement in Pakistan over the years. Child health indicators such as immunisation rates and infant mortality have improved for both girls and boys. Fertility rate is declining, leading to better health for women. Their participation in paid labour has increased particularly in agriculture and their involvement in the political process has risen.

However, large gender inequalities persist. Although more girls are in schools, a substantial gender gap in enrolment remains and widens as girls move from primary to middle school.

Although gender differentials in child immunisation have declined, considerable gender differentials persist in other aspects of health care.

“Fear and taboo restrict female access to medical care, education, opportunities for paid work, voting and other forms of political and community participation,” said John Wall, the World Bank’s country director.

For example, he said, a woman who needed medical care for herself or her children usually cannot travel alone to a health centre, particularly if it is outside her settlement.

Mr Wall said easing some of these mobility constraints would require fundamental cultural shifts which could only happen over time, “but there are steps the government can take to advance gender equality,” he said.

The report identifies two dimensions in which policies must address gender gaps in order to meet Pakistan’s development goals.