IT will take 131 years before full parity exists between women and men according to the latest Global Gender Gap Index Report (2023). This means that none of us alive today will see gender parity globally in our lifetimes. For Pakistan, the wait is even longer — it will take 149 years to close the gap for the southern Asia region, according to the report.

A total of 146 countries’ data was available for this year’s rankings. No country has achieved full gender parity, although Iceland leads the way at over 90 per cent parity achieved. Three Nordic countries (Norway, Finland and Sweden) are among the top five, with countries from Africa (Namibia) and Latin America (Nicaragua) advancing to within the top 10 ranking. Afghanistan remains the lowest ranked country on the index, while Pakistan has managed to pull up to fifth lowest, from second last in the 2022 rankings. The countries that have beat Pakistan to the bottom are Iran, Algeria and Chad. We make up a motley crew.

Analysing data from the sub-index of economic participation and opportunity (there are four sub-indices against which data is collected in the report) can help in identifying the critical policy areas for improving parity for women and girls. Globally, only 64.9pc of the gender gap in labour-force participation rate has been closed in 2023, whereas Pakistan’s rate of 30.4pc shows that we are well behind the global average.

The report uses data from LinkedIn to assess representation of women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) workforce. Pakistan is not one of the countries represented in this data as LinkedIn accesses data from countries where they have at least 100,000 member profiles. The data shows that while women make up nearly 50pc of employment across non-STEM sectors, they only make up 29pc of employment in STEM occupations. Lack of skill set and the lower proportion of girls who choose to study or graduate in STEM subjects is a major factor. The report further reveals there is a significant drop in the retention of female workers in STEM occupations one year after graduating. This means that a number of girls who graduate out of STEM subjects, do not end up in STEM occupations over the longer term. This is a ‘brain drain’ — we need to delve further into finding solutions that support women being retained in these occupations.

It is essential that girls and women are supported to engage more fully in STEM and AI academic pathways.

These findings are starker when looking at artificial intelligence. The global labour market is being revolutionised by AI, and there are positive and negative consequences. AI as the disruptor can create huge knowledge and impact leaps in the fields of education, health, environment, supply chain and financial services, among others. With the evolution of ChatGPT and other such platforms, research, data mining, even creativity, can now be just a few clicks away. This has major repercussions for us as workers, creators and breadwinners.

Analysing 2022 data, the report finds that only 30pc of AI talent was female. This lack of diversity in the AI workforce means that the gains associated with AI technologies will reflect male perspectives on local and global challenges. History shows that not incorporating women’s perspectives and experiences leads to suboptimal results and hinders human development. Without equal access and inputs into AI design, the gender divide will grow, leading to poorer outcomes for all.

In Pakistan, there are some improvements when it comes to interest in STEM. According to the Coursera Global Skills Report 2023, while Pakistan ranks 92 out of 100 countries in terms of skill proficiency, it has the fourth highest enrolments globally for STEM skills. The bad news is that in the data collected by Coursera, girls make up only 16pc of learners in Pakistan (the global average is 43pc).

It is essential then, that girls and women are supported to engage more fully in STEM and AI academic pathways. This means forging public-private partnerships that can create opportunities and incentivise girls and their families to look towards STEM education and skilling as socially acceptable high-potential job markets.

Tabadlab’s Digital Now report recommends starting with basics, such as digital skills as a mandatory element of foundational learning. Over the medium term, it recommends the expanded delivery of advanced courses in emerging technologies such as cloud, robotics, AI and blockchain to allow for a globally competitive workforce. Here, it will be necessary to further specify how girls will be catered to. Schemes incentivising girls need to be a key part of the solution — there have already been successful initiatives supporting girls to attend secondary schools through stipends, and these types of ideas need to be developed to inform and encourage girls and their families to support girls’ enrolment in STEM courses.

The STEM industry must also shoulder this critical responsibility. There are very few women role models in tech leadership or in middle management in these occupations. This makes it difficult for girls or their families to feel comfortable about what to expect in the workspace. Discrimination exists — women are not perceived to be serious contenders in the STEM/AI world.

Industry leaders need to make it part of the corporate mission to address both social norms and skilling challenges. Women leaders need to band together with male counterparts to create mentorship opportunities for women entering the industry. The Pakistan government and SECP should mandate affirmative action policies such as quotas for skilling and employment in STEM. Finally, career growth pathways for women must allow for flexibility, and incentives for returning to work after having children, rather than the opposite, which unfortunately is still very much the insidious norm.

The writer has over 25 years of experience in inclusive programmes for women, public health and prosperity. She is currently associated with an Islamabad-based think tank.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2023