THE Economic Advisory Council has garnered tremendous interest for all the wrong reasons. While the prime minister received much praise when the EAC members’ list was first announced, this soon turned into furore — and rightly so. First, there was uproar over the lack of women in the EAC. Second, the government gave in to pressure for Atif Mian to resign (based on his religious beliefs). Yet, while further resignations followed in protest over Mian’s removal, they did not on the lack of women’s representation.

It is important for all countries, including Pakistan, to include all groups and stakeholders in relevant conversations, including those from different provinces and religious denominations. All type of diversity in our public institutions and policy bodies is critical, including the adequate representation of women, for policymaking to be inclusive and meaningful.

So why are there no women in the EAC? Is it due to a lack of competent women economists in Pakistan?

Is there a lack of competent Pakistani women economists?

Globally, economics remains a widely male-dominated field. Recent statistics suggest that only 13 per cent of academic economists in tenured and permanent posts in the US are women. The UK boasts only marginally better numbers (15.5pc). Only one woman has ever won the Nobel Prize in Economics. Many women scientists’ work has been wrongfully credited to their male colleagues and the field of economics is unlikely to be different. The struggles of women in economics — indeed in any field — are very real.

In Pakistan too, economics remains a male-dominated field, although Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore School of Economics and other private universities have done a huge service in producing many young economists, many of them women. By and large, however, women economists in Pakistan have to overcome many obstacles to enter the profession and fight implicit and explicit patriarchal norms throughout their careers.

They have earned their titles, become doctors, received honours. Some lecture in world-class universities, others work in research centres and international organisations, or are freelancers. They are all economists of high standing; many continue to publish in world-class journals, present at prominent conferences, and advise international agencies and governments on economic issues.

Yet, women also have unique biological roles as mothers and also tend to be their families’ primary caregivers. These essential roles affect their ability to sustain their professional life continuously, and affect their productivity and their ability to compete with male peers.

As many have shared in other forums, there are several eminent women who could have been included on the EAC. To name a couple: Dr Shamshad Akhtar, who has both the academic qualifications, and experience at the highest levels of domestic and international economic policymaking (State Bank governor, World Bank vice president and interim finance minister) and Dr Zeba Sathar, head of the Population Council, who would have been an excellent candidate given the priority the prime minister has given to child nutrition. There are many others.

But there is also, perhaps, a bigger question — whether these economists would want to join a policy body that has shown itself to be unwelcoming to minorities, including women. What room does it give for their voices to be heard?

Not giving competent women a seat at the policy table is a waste of resources for any country. There is a strong case to be made for diversity in the EAC (be it provincial, religious or gender-based, for example) to reflect in better policymaking. Addressing issues such as nutrition and health — a key area of focus for the PTI — also necessitates women’s engagement, as they are key stakeholders in successfully taking such agendas forward.

So, how do we nurture our many talented established and upcoming wo­­men economists? How can we create environments where they gain confidence, feel empowered, have opportunities and are in a position to serve on our highest policy bodies? And how do we get more women into workplaces?

We remove some of the key obstacles to their entry into the labour market. Some of these obstacles are amenable to policy change. Having women who understand some of the critical constraints that women face, inform some of this policy change, is a beginning. Allowing women’s voices to be heard is also a start. Women as leaders and in positions of power become powerful role models for other women. Across the globe, there is increased recognition of the need for women economists to serve in high-level public policymaking, and that greater women’s representation leads to a more diverse set of policy questions being asked. A ‘naya Pakistan’ should aspire to achieve the same.

Monazza Aslam is a DPhil in economics of education from the University of Oxford.
Reehana Raza is a DPhil in economics from the University of Cambridge.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2018