In view of the rapid increase in the size of impoverished population worldwide during the 90’s, UN member countries unanimously agreed in September 2000 on eight time-bound objectives known as, millennium developmental goals (MDGs) which focus on poverty, literacy, health care, environmental degradation and on gender disparity.

Women empowerment through removal of gender disparity was targeted as 3rd MDG to be achieved by 2015. Its importance was based on the assumption that directly or indirectly women empowerment facilitates the achievement of other MDGs, particularly relating to those of literacy, health care and poverty reduction.

Pakistan’s progress with regard to gender sensitised strategic approach for achieving equity in political, social and economic rights, particularly women accessibility to all resources and opportunities like education, health care, employment and markets, new technologies, institutional credit remain less than satisfactory. It’s ranking in UNDP Human Development reports on gender empowerment measures remains stagnant at 135th.for the last five years.

Gender disparities: Girls’ enrolment has been consistently low and gender differential remains quite high. According to the ministry of education, the total enrolment at the primary level in 2005 stood at 16.68 million out of which 7.25 million (41 per cent) were girls. Similarly, the dropout rate of girls--as high as 45 per cent—indicates our failure in meeting even basic target of removing gender disparity at primary and secondary level. .

Thirty-six per cent of girls of age group 5 -16 years have never been to any school/maderrasa which also show a failure of sustained efforts both on the part of the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve enrolment rate of females, at all levels of education. The recent upsurge of seminaries/maderrsa’s, accommodating a large number of boys and girls, need to be formalised by bringing them in the mainstream of the education system. .

A recent report of the ministry of education says that one-fourth of the teachers at primary level are untrained. Learning material is inadequate and of poor quality;. teaching methods harsh and non-congenial and focus on character building almost negligible.

The recent increased budgetary allocations for education with a focus on enhancing number of schools, qualified lady teachers and other needed infrastructure, both in urban and rural areas, and various incentives offered to financially disadvantaged families to enabling them to send their daughters to schools and the 100 per cent increase in females enrolment at university and college levels, will definitely go a long way in achieving the gender parity.

Pakistan’s status regarding gender parity in access to health care is comparatively less disappointing. Average life expectancy of men and women is almost levelled off or rather better for women by two percentage point (male 63 and female 65). However, the country still faces high risk of deaths at reproductive age, particularly in rural and less-developed urban areas, where women no voice in family matters and where maternal mortality ratio (MMR) stands at 433/100000—the highest in South Asia.

The government’s initiative about increasing the number of rural health centres/hospitals, through sizable allocations in the public sector development programme (PSDP) for the last three years is a breakthrough in this direction.

Gender parity in politics: With the start of the new century, women have been exposed to a greater role in politics and legislative process for removing gender disparities in assemblies by enhancing (17 to 33 per cent) general and reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies, Senate and local governments.

Women legislatures are now striving against laws which go against the interest of women. The passing of the Women Protection Bill, is an example of their success. However, it is unfortunate that due to a half-hearted support of male legislators, only half of the clauses of the bill, particularly those relating to Hadood Ordinance could be taken up.Women parliamentarians are required to play a more aggressive role in the legislative process.

Women access to resources and economic opportunities is also quite low. Women share in labour force has increased from 20 to 27 per cent during the last one decade. but the major chunk of women workforce is deployed in informal sector which has not been helpful for reducing poverty.

Gender sensitised policies of the government and its initiative to open all services and professions to women has greatly increased the number of women--both in armed forces and civil jobs The government’s concern to achieve poverty reduction target by 2015 is reflected from creating employment and self-employment opportunities for both-- men and women alike.

Access to institutional credit has been main hurdle for women to go into any income-generation business. However, micro-financing with its major focus on women from financially disadvantaged class has been an step forward to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship amongst women.

There has been a substantial increase in the number of self-employed women and medium-size enterprises owned and run by women entailing greater access of women to country’s resources and assets.

Despite this increase in the number of women in effective workforce/labour market, the barriers to access to productive resources and constraints imposed by household duties and cultural norms on women,, prevent women from taking full advantage of government’s gender sensitised policies. It would be appropriate if gender — targeted policies designed to provide extra incentives to impoverished families — particularly for more investment in female human capital--- be formulated to eliminate gender disparities.