Women's education in Pakistan is a fundamental right of every female citizen, according to article Thirty-Seven of the Constitution of Pakistan,Constitution of Pakistan , Government of Pakistan. However gender discrepancies still exist in the educational sector. According to the 2011 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program, approximately twice as many males as females receive a secondary education in Pakistan, and public expenditures on education amount to only 2.7% of the GDP of the country.UNDP, Human Development Report (2011) The unemployment rate of female graduates in Pakistan is approximately 3.8 times higher than that of their male counterparts.
Gender roles in Pakistan
Patriarchal values heavily govern the social structure in Pakistani society, in the rural areas. In comparison, urban centers of the country as well as semi-peripheral regions are slowly moving towards shifting gender roles that are more inclusive. Around 70% of working women in Pakistan work outdoors according to the Asian Development Bank's policy brief on female workforce participation in Pakistan 2016. The general perception of culturally traditional gender— roles specifically, that a woman is expected to take care of the home as wife and mother, whereas the male dominates outside the home as a breadwinner, are questionable in certain sectors. In agricultural work, within rural areas, both men and women work in the fields and are expected to contribute equally to household work. In a survey by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics 2013–2014, it was reported that 26% of women are in the labor force ( approximately 15 million). There is a traditionally conceptual idea of the segregation of men and women into two distinct worlds. However, this materializes differently in various parts of the country. Only in the most of rural and isolated regions in the country is this idea of gender roles strictly followed. Poverty is one of the major factors in unequal allocation of household resources in favor of sons due to their role in society outside the home. Therefore, education for boys is prioritized over that for girls because it is perceived that boys must be equipped with educational skills to compete for resources in the public arena; while girls are expected to specialize in domestic skills to be good mothers and wives. Hence, education is not perceived as important for girls.
This gender division of labor has been internalized by society, and girls do not have many choices for themselves that could change these patriarchal realities of their lives. Society does not allow girls to develop their human capabilities by precluding them from acquiring an education. The lack of emphasis on the importance of women's education is one of the cardinal features of gender inequality in Pakistan. The Human Development Report (HDR) listed Pakistan in the category of "low human development" countries, with a female literacy rate of thirty percent, and Pakistan has ranked 145 in the world in terms of human development.
Importance of women's education Education has been of central significance to the development of human society. It can be the beginning, not only of individual knowledge, information and awareness, but also a holistic strategy for development and change. Education is very much connected to women's ability to form social relationships on the basis of equality with others and to achieve the important social good of self-respect. It is important, as well, for mobility (through access to jobs and the political process) and to health and life (through the connection to bodily integrity).Education serves as protection to domestic violence. Domestic violence is a major factor that negatively affects the advancement of women. One of the significant goals of education for Pakistani women is its contribution to the labor market. Education empowers women to have a voice in the decision-making process in a male-dominated household, limiting men,s to influence on women's involvement in paid jobs that contribute to the country's economy, thus improving Pakistan's status of women. Education can allow women to participate in politics so they can ensure that their voices and concerns are heard and addressed in the public policy. It is also crucial for women's access to the legal system.Nussbaum, M. (2003). Women's Education: A Global Challenge. University of Chicago. Although it must be considered that religion and traditions of the Pakistani affect women's education. Some women may choose to keep the traditional roles because that is what they have always known and are used to. It would be a great opportunity if women were able to make their choice on their own, though. They should at least have the knowledge of both sides to be educated or to stay with the traditional ways.
Education is a critical input in human resource development and essential for the country's economic growth. It increases the productivity and efficiency of individuals, and it produces a skilled labor force that is capable of leading the economy towards sustainable growth and prosperity. The progress and wellbeing of a country largely depends on the education choices made available to its people. It can be one of the most powerful instruments of change. It can help a country to achieve its national goals via producing minds imbued with knowledge, skills, and competencies to shape its future destiny.
The widespread recognition of this fact has created awareness on the need to focus upon literacy and elementary education, not simply as a matter of social justice but more to foster economic growth, social well-being, and social stability.Mishra R. C. (2005). Women Education. New Delhi: A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. Women's education is so inextricably linked with the other facets of human development that to make it a priority is to also make change on a range of other fronts; from the health and status of women to early childhood care; from nutrition, water and sanitation to community empowerment; from the reduction of child labor and other forms of exploitation to the peaceful resolution of conflicts.Goel, A. (2004). Education and Socio-Economic Perspectives of Women Development and Empowerment. Education in GB is in a critical state, particularly with regard to the regional government's lack of attention and planning for children's education. There is a glaring absence of policies addressing educational rights.
Economic benefits of women's education
A large number of empirical studies have revealed that increase in women's education boosts their wages and that returns to education for women are frequently larger than that of men. Increase in the level of female education improves human development outcomes such as child survival, health and schooling.Klasen, S. and Lamanna, F. (2008), The Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Employment on Economic Growth in Development Countries: Updates and Extensions. Lower female education has a negative impact on economic growth as it lowers the average level of human capital.Klasen, Stephan (1999). "Does Gender Inequality Reduce Growth and development? Evidence from Cross-Country Regressions", Policy Research Report On Gender and Development Working Paper Series, No. 7. Development Research Group /PREMN, the World Bank. Developmental Economists argue that in developing countries female education reduces fertility, infant mortality and increases children's education. Gender inequality in education directly and significantly affects economic growth.
Gender disparity in education in Pakistan
According to UNDP 2010 report, Pakistan ranked 120 in 146 countries in terms of Gender-related Development Index (GDI), and in terms of Gender Empowerment Measurement (GEM) ranking, it ranked 92 in 94 countries.UNDP (2010), "Statement on Gender in Pakistan". Gender inequality in education can be measured in different ways. Gross and net enrollment rates and completion and drop-out rates are the ways to identify the gender inequality in education. Pakistan aims to achieve Millennium Development Goals and also aimed to eliminate gender disparity at all levels of education by the year 2015.United Nations, UNDP. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/. Elimination of gender disparity at all levels of education requires higher allocation of resources on women's education. Strong gender disparities exist in literacy and educational attainment between rural and urban areas of Pakistan.
Socio-economic hurdles
Patriarchal values are deeply embedded in the society of Pakistan, and their different manifestations are observed in various aspects of the society. As mentioned above,the gender division of labour enforces women to primarily specialize in unpaid care work as mothers and wives at home, whereas men perform paid work, and emerge as breadwinners. This has led to a low level of resource investment in girls' education, not only by their families but also by the state. This low investment in women's human capital, compounded by negative social biases and cultural practices, restrictions on women's mobility and the internalization of patriarchy by women themselves, becomes the basis for gender discrimination and disparities in most spheres of life. Some of the ramifications are that women are unable to develop job-market skills, hence, they have limited opportunities available to them in the wage labour market. Moreover, social and cultural restrictions limit women's chances to compete for resources in a world outside the four walls of their homes. It translates into social and economic dependency of women on men. The nature and degree of women's oppression and subordination vary across classes, regions and the rural and urban divide in Pakistan. It has been observed that male dominant structures are relatively more marked in the rural and tribal setting where local customs and indigenous laws establish stronger male authority and power over women.Khan, S (2007). "Gender Issues in higher education in Pakistan". Bulletin, Issue 162, 2007.
Insurgency hurdles Destruction of schools and killings have harmed women's education in Pakistan. sixteen-year-old education activist and blogger Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck by Taliban insurgents on October 9, 2012, after she had blogged about the destruction of schools and closing of all-girls schools in her town of Mingora in the Swat District. Later, the Taliban denied that it opposes education and claimed, "Malala was targeted because of her pioneering role in preaching secularism and so-called enlightened moderation."
In September 2012, the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that 710 schools had been destroyed or damaged by militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 401 schools had been destroyed or damaged in Swat.Militancy keeps 600,000 KP children out of school 12 September 2012 While the Taliban's campaign extends beyond girls to secular education in general, at least one source reports that damage was related to Taliban opposition to girls' education.Why the Taliban Shot the Schoolgirl| Leon Wieseltier| October 19, 2012 | accessed 12.11.212 Another source includes the bombing of girls' schools as among the Taliban policies.
Barriers to a Higher Education
Although education for women in Pakistan is a right since 1976 there is still a sizable gender gap, specifically in higher education for women. From data collected in 2003-2004 enrollment of women in bachelor's degree programs was 43.5% as compared to their male counterparts who had an enrollment of 56.49%. Furthermore, in a study by Monazza Aslam it was concluded that an investment in women's education has a higher economic return than that of male education, and yet there is little importance put on women's education. This is due to the societal expectations and the value of women in Pakistan.