Women in Pakistan

Women in Pakistan

Photo of Benazir Bhutto, the first female prime minister of Pakistan.
Gender Inequality Index[1]
Value	0.534(2021)
Rank	135th out of 191
Global Gender Gap Index[2]
Value	0.575 (2023)
Rank	142th out of 146 (2023)

Women in Pakistan make up 48.76% of the population according to the 2017 census of Pakistan.^[3] Women in Pakistan have played an important role throughout Pakistan's history^[4] and they are allowed to vote in elections since 1956.^[5] In Pakistan, women have held high offices including that of the Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, Leader of the Opposition, as well as federal ministers, judges,^[6] and serving commissioned posts in the armed forces, with Lieutenant General Nigar Johar attaining the highest military post for a woman.^[7][8] Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as the first woman Prime Minister of Pakistan on 2 December 1988.

The status of women in Pakistan differs considerably across classes, regions and the rural/urban divide due to the uneven socioeconomic development and the impact of tribal and feudal social formations on lives of women in Pakistan. Gender Concerns International reports that the overall women's rights in Pakistan have improved with increasing number of women being educated and literate.^{[9][10][11][12]}

However, Pakistan does face issues where woman are kept behind in the field of education. This is also associated with low government funding,^[13] fewer schools and colleges for women, and a low enrollment rate of women in educational institutions due to lack of awareness and women's rights in certain areas.^[14][15] Cases of rape, honor killing, murder, and forced marriages in backward areas are also reported.^{[14][16][17][18]} All these issues are related to constraints due to a lack of education, poverty, a judicial system of Pakistan that is disrupted, the negligence of government authorities to implement laws^[19][20] and widespread underperformance of law enforcement agencies such as the Police.^[21][22]