ISLAMABAD: As International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed on Sunday (today), millions of Pakistani women and adolescent girls are held back not by a lack of ambition but by a lack of iron in their blood.

“Anaemia, a largely preventable condition, remains one of the most overlooked barriers to women’s wellbeing, productivity and empowerment. If this year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘Rights, Justice, Action, for ALL Women and Girls,’ is to carry real meaning, it must begin with protecting women’s health,” said Dr Shabina Raza, country director of Nutrition International Pakistan, while talking to Dawn.

“Pakistan’s women face a troubling paradox. On one hand, undernutrition persists; on the other, micronutrient deficiencies are widespread. Around 14 per cent of women of reproductive age are undernourished. More alarmingly, over half of women and adolescent girls suffer from anaemia. Pakistan now has the fourth-highest prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls and women in South Asia,” she added.

“In Pakistan, anaemia affects over 41.7pc of women of reproductive age, with some provinces facing even higher rates than the national average — Balochistan at 56.6pc and Sindh at 44pc,” she said.

It is worth mentioning that anaemia occurs when the body lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen effectively. The consequences range from persistent tiredness and reduced immunity to serious complications during pregnancy.

Dr Shabina Raza said, “Behind the worrying numbers lies a deeper gender story. Women eating last and least, girls missing out on nutritious diets, and social norms that prioritise others over their wellbeing. This silent crisis undermines their health, well-being, learning, productivity and maternal outcomes.”

“Beyond health risks, anaemia also reduces women’s energy and productivity. Whether working in agriculture, running small businesses, managing households or participating in the labour force, women’s contributions to the economy are significant. When anaemia diminishes their strength and stamina, it limits their ability to participate fully in economic and social life,” she said.

“This International Women’s Day, we urge a commitment to advancing women’s right to equitable access to nutrition,” Dr Raza said.

Health ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah, while talking to Dawn, said the government of Pakistan remained steadfast in its commitment to building a welfare state founded on the principles of equity, social justice and solidarity.

“Urgent and concerted efforts are needed to improve the public health landscape in Pakistan. We must prioritise investment in equitable access to essential health services and strengthen disease prevention measures, especially focusing on the health needs of adolescents and women for long-term impact,” he said.

“There is an urgent need for comprehensive, evidence-informed school health and multisectoral nutrition programmes that go beyond supplements to include screening, health education and the promotion of healthy diets,” Mr Shah said.

Meanwhile, Munazza Gillani, Sightsavers’ director for Pakistan and the Middle East, said the latest World Economic Forum data showed that a girl born today would have to wait 123 years, far beyond her expected lifespan, to see gender equality achieved globally.

“Compared to men, women and girls are less likely to go to school or have a job. Women with disabilities face even greater barriers to participating equally in society,” she said in a statement issued in connection with IWD.

“We do not have to accept a 123-year wait or longer for equality. Disability-inclusive investments in women’s livelihoods can compress over a century of waiting into transformative change right away. Our programmes worldwide show that when women, especially women with disabilities, gain economic power, families and communities grow stronger and economies expand,” she said.

In Pakistan, Fizza Hussain, the country’s first visually impaired chef and co-founder of Khaas Foodz Kitchen, is one of many examples of what disability-inclusive investment can achieve, she said. “Losing her sight at the age of 18, she refused to accept the stigma society would try to place on her and has since helped develop Pakistan’s first accessible culinary training model for visually impaired individuals. Through her leadership, more than 1,000 trainees have received professional culinary and life skills training,” she added.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026