FOR all the progress made in Pakistan towards the inclusion of women across the sociopolitical divide, comprehensive analysis by the International Labour Organisation lays bare the inequities that still exist in our labour market. Pakistan ratified the ILO’s Equal Remuneration Convention in 2001 and yet remains among the countries with the widest gender pay gaps in the region. Women here earn on average 25 to 30pc less than men for comparable work. This reflects the entrenched societal biases due to which women continue being denied their rightful place as equal contributors to the economy. The report also shows that the pay gap is not only larger than the global average of 20pc, but even wider than that in countries such as Nepal (18pc) and Sri Lanka (22pc). Moreover, only 23pc of Pakistani women are in employment compared to 79pc of men — a yawning 56-point gap. This is the highest in South Asia.

Even when women do work, it is often in the public sector or professions like education and healthcare. Many others work as unpaid family workers, contributing in family businesses or farms without pay or recognition. Even after accounting for education, age and job type, much of the gap between men’s and women’s pay remains — a sign of entrenched discrimination. The gap is widest for older women, those in the private and informal sectors, and low earners. To its credit, Pakistan has made some progress. Recent legislation in Balochistan embeds the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, while Punjab and Sindh have drafted laws that are now being debated and which could bring them in line with global standards. But more is needed. Provincial codes must be updated, minimum wage policies tailored to reduce gender disparity, discriminatory hiring practices eradicated, and access to childcare and parental leave expanded. A country that sidelines half its population cannot expect to prosper.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2025