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The '''gender gap in Pakistan''' refers to the relative disparity between male and female citizens in Pakistani society along key indicators and aspects of life. It can be assessed through a number of facets, ranging from demographic disparities to legal discrimination, economic inequality, and cultural attitudes.

==Demographic Disparity==

===General Population Gap===
According to the provisional results of the 6th Population & Housing Census conducted in 2017, there are 106,449,322 men, 101,314,780 women, and 10,418 transgenders. By percentage, men form 51%, Women 48.76%, and transgenders 0.24% of the total population of Pakistan. The sex ratio of the Pakistan is 105.07, that means there are 105 men for 100 women in Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.samaa.tv/news/2017/08/population-census-2017-men-outnumber-women-pakistan/ |title = Population census 2017: Men outnumber women in Pakistan &#124; Samaa Digital}}</ref>

According to 2018 estimates by the World Bank, women constitute 48.54% of the Pakistani population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL.FE.ZS?view=map|title=Population, female (% of total population) &#124; Data}}</ref>

===Population Gap by Age Group===
By 2018 estimates, the sex ratio at birth stands at 1.05 males born for every female. It peaks at 1.08 males/female for the 25–54 years age group and reaches its lowest point at 0.87 males/female for the 65+ years age group.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/351.html#PK |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-10-11 |archive-date=2020-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930224724/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/351.html#PK |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Population Gap by Area of Location===
There is a gender gap in the demographics of rural versus urban populations as documented by the 2017 census. There are a total of 67,300,171 males vs 64,886,593 females (ratio: 1.03) in rural areas whereas there are 39,149,151 males vs 36,428,187 females (ratio: 1.07) in urban areas. The provinces/territories with the greatest noted disparity include Balochistan (sex ratio: 1.10) and Islamabad (sex ratio: 1.11).<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |title=District-wise Census Results 2017 |journal=Population & Housing Census 2017 |page=1 |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf}}</ref>

===Infanticide, Sex-selective Abortion & Neonatal Abandonment===
There is a documented practice of female infanticide, sex-selective abortion, and abandonment of newborn female children in Pakistan. According to the Edhi Foundation, 1210 female babies were killed in Pakistan in 2010 while an estimated 200 pregnancies were aborted on the basis of female sex and up to 90% of babies abandoned to the care of the Edhi Foundation were female.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1454431/unwanted-lives|title=Unwanted Lives|date=30 December 2018}}</ref> Later reports confirmed a continuing rise in the number female infanticides.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/1/14/infanticides-on-theriseinpakistan.html|title = Infanticide is on the rise in Pakistan}}</ref>

According to Bongaarts,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bongaarts |first1=John |title=The Implementation of Preferences for Male Offspring |journal=[[Population and Development Review]] |date=2013 |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=185–208 |doi=10.1111/j.1728-4457.2013.00588.x |language=en |issn=1728-4457}}</ref> Pakistan has the fifth highest Sex Ratio at Last Birth (SLRB) which may indicate a high rate of sex-selective abortions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zaidi |first1=Batool |last2=Morgan |first2=S. Philip |title=In the Pursuit of Sons: Additional Births or Sex-Selective Abortion in Pakistan? |journal=Population and Development Review |date=December 2016 |volume=42 |issue=4 |pages=693–710 |doi=10.1111/padr.12002 |pmid=28392607 |pmc=5382870 |issn=0098-7921}}</ref>

==Health Disparity==
===Childhood Mortality===
According to the Filmer & King, a female child in India or Pakistan has a 30-50% higher chance of dying between the first and fifth years of life.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Gender Disparity in South Asia: Comparisons Between and Within Countries |date=30 November 1999 |doi=10.1596/1813-9450-1867 |publisher=The World Bank|series=Policy Research Working Papers |url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/1998/01/01/000009265_3980217141504/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf }}</ref> This difference may be attributable to poor nutrition, lack of preventive care and delays in seeking medical care.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fikree |first1=Fariyal F |last2=Pasha |first2=Omrana |title=Role of gender in health disparity: the South Asian context |journal=BMJ : British Medical Journal |date=3 April 2004 |volume=328 |issue=7443 |pages=823–826 |issn=0959-8138|pmc=383384 |pmid=15070642 |doi=10.1136/bmj.328.7443.823 }}</ref>

===Healthcare Utilization===
In line with patterns observed across South Asia, men in Pakistan continue to play a decision-making role in women's access to healthcare including their utilization of healthcare services in the event of an emergency.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shaikh |first1=Babar T. |last2=Hatcher |first2=Juanita |title=Health seeking behaviour and health service utilization in Pakistan: challenging the policy makers |journal=Journal of Public Health |date=1 March 2005 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=49–54 |doi=10.1093/pubmed/fdh207 |pmid=15590705 |language=en |issn=1741-3842|doi-access=free }}</ref> Cultural barriers also include restrictions on women's mobility unaccompanied by men.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mumtaz |first1=Zubia |last2=Salway |first2=Sarah |title='I never go anywhere': extricating the links between women's mobility and uptake of reproductive health services in Pakistan |journal=Social Science & Medicine (1982) |date=2005 |volume=60 |issue=8 |pages=1751–1765 |doi=10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.08.019 |pmid=15686807 |issn=0277-9536}}</ref>

==Education Disparity==
===Literacy Rate===
Only  45.8% of the female population is literate compared to 69.5% of the male population, according to 2015 estimates.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/370.html#PK |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-10-11 |archive-date=2020-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329034851/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/370.html#PK |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===School Enrollment===
The school life expectancy (number of years of education from primary to tertiary) of female children is 8 years versus 9 years for male children according to 2017 estimates.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/371.html#PK |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-10-11 |archive-date=2020-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114033326/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/371.html#PK |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to 2018 data from UNESCO, the net enrollment in primary education is 61.61% for female children whereas it is 73.37% for male children.<ref>https://uis.unesco.org/en/country/pk</ref>

==Economic Disparity==
===Economic Participation===
According to 2016 data by UN Women, only 26% of women participated in the labor force in Pakistan. Of these, 73% were employed in agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing. Professional and managerial participation of women remained low, with women comprising only 7.4% of STEM professionals working in the field. Women employed in the formal sector also worked excessive hours versus men, and women with 10 years of education or more were noted as having high rates of underemployment or unemployment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/countries/pakistan/wee/wee-participant/employment-and-earnings|title = Employment and Earnings}}</ref> Childcare labor was intentionally excluded from this study.

===Access to Physical & Financial Capital===
Access to physical and financial capital significantly lags behind men, with only 5% of women above the age of 15 having bank accounts versus 21% of men according to {{cite book |title=Status Report on Women's Economic Participation and Empowerment |url=https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2016/05/status-report-on-womens-economic-participation-and-empowerment |language=en}}.

Additionally, only 2% of women had received a loan from a financial institution, 2% owned land, and 7.4% women had joint ownership of a house.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=UN Women |title=Status Report on Womens Economic Participation and Empowerment |date=2016 |page=3 |url=https://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20eseasia/docs/publications/2016/05/pk-wee-status-report-summary.pdf?la=en&vs=751 |language=en}}</ref>

===Wage Gap===
Pakistan has the highest wage gap in the world, according to the International Labor Organization; women in Pakistan earn 34% less than men on average.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ilo.org/islamabad/info/public/pr/WCMS_651658/lang--en/index.htm|title=Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind Gender Pay Gap|date=28 November 2018}}</ref> The Global Wage Report 2018/2019 also found women in Pakistan constitute 90% of the bottom 1% of wage earners in the country.<ref>{{cite book |title=Global wage report 2018/19 : what lies behind gender pay gaps. |isbn=9789220313473 |language=en|year=2018 }}</ref>

==Legal Disparity==
===Requirements for Testimony===
Article 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.<ref>http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1333523681_951.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref> However, under Article 17 of the Qanun-e-Shahdat (1984), women's witness is discounted to half of a man's witness.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.equalitynow.org/pakistan_the_qanun_e_shahadat_order_1984_law_of_evidence|title=We can't seem find that page – Equality Now}}</ref>

===Right to Divorce===
Muslim women in Pakistan have the right to obtain a ''khula'', in which case they may forfeit their dower,<ref>https://sahsol.lums.edu.pk/law-journal/law-khul-islamic-law-and-legal-system-pakistan</ref> but do not have the right to divorce unless it is delegated to them by the husband at the time of signing the marriage contract.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/384456-cii-chairman-clarifies-statement-on-new-marriage-document|title = CII chairman clarifies statement on new marriage document}}</ref> There is no such limitation on men's right to divorce.

==Political Disparity==
===Voting Bans===
Women in Pakistan had suffered from voting rights but now these rights are given back to them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theasiadialogue.com/2018/09/17/the-complex-state-of-womens-suffrage-in-pakistan/|title = The complex state of women's suffrage in Pakistan|date = 17 September 2018}}</ref> However, local bans have existed in parts of the country and prevented women from voting; in addition, technical prerequisites such as CNIC registration for voting have had unintended effects of disenfranchising female voters in areas where male family members do not approve of female relatives obtaining CNICs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://herald.dawn.com/news/1154065|title=Why bans persist on women voting across Pakistan|date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

In the 2013 general elections, there were 13 polling stations where no woman had turned out to vote on polling day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/568187-women-voters-follow-men-2018|title=Lessons from how women voted in 2018|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>

===Electoral Turnout===
In the 2018 election, the gap between male and female voters increased to 12.5 million. According to the Electoral Commission of Pakistan's final rolls for 2018, only 44.1% of registered voters in Pakistan were female.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1409521|title=Number of registered voters in 2018 up 23pc from last general elections|date=23 May 2018}}</ref> The gender electoral roll imbalance increased from 10.97 percent in the 2013 general elections to 12.49 percent in 2018 elections. This gender gap is the largest in Balochistan province (15.65 percent), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) (13.65), Sindh (11.02), and Punjab (11.095). Around 65% of National Assembly constituencies had a gender gap of more than 10%- particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/568187-women-voters-follow-men-2018|title=Lessons from how women voted in 2018|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>

===Representation in Government===
Only 4% of female candidates contesting in the 2018 General Elections won seats to the National Assembly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1431514|title=Only 8 of 183 women candidates elected to NA in July 25 polls, ECP data shows|date=7 September 2018}}</ref> Between 2017-2018, women constituted 20% of the Parliament and in the National Assembly introduced an average of 25 agenda items versus the average 6 agenda items introduced by male Parliamentarians. Women lawmakers on average attended more sittings of both the Senate and the National Assembly (64% and 67% respectively) than male colleagues did during the same period (59% and 54% respectively).<ref>{{cite book |title=FAFEN Women Legislators Performance Report 2017-18 |publisher=FAFEN |page=2 |url=http://fafen.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/FAFEN-Women-Legislators-Performance-Report-2017-18.pdf}}</ref>

==Cultural Disparity==
===Media Participation===
According to the Federal Union of Journalists, less than 5% of journalists in Pakistan are women.<ref>https://www.mediasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Final-Report-Testimonies-Of-Women-Journalists-in-Pakistan.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref><ref>https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/03/pakistan-women-journalists-want--20143717951496363.html</ref> Differences in production & dissemination of culture may be considered reflective of social inequality.<ref>http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/84229/1/Friedman_Producing%20and%20consuming%20inequality.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

==Gender Equality Indices==
The [[Gender Development Index]] value for Pakistan is 0.750 which places it amongst the lowest in the South Asian region. Pakistan's Gender Inequality Index rank is 133 out of 160 countries, as of 2017.<ref>http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/PAK.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

== References ==
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[[Category:Women's rights in Pakistan]]