Focusing on the issue of gender equality is not only a necessity but an emergency for Pakistan. The country ranked 151 out of 153 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2020 index.

Half of the 210 million Pakistanis are women. Yet, in the same Index, the country ranks at 150 in economic participation and opportunity and 93 in women’s political empowerment. A review of the numbers shows that Pakistan has been steadily falling in this ranking. Its total gender gap index slipped from 112 in 2006 to 151 in 2020.

Paradoxically, the initiatives focusing on gender issues in Pakistan are manifold. The prioritisation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) in Pakistan’s 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development,  and passing the bill of “Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act” (2010) show that gender has been considered significantly in Pakistan, even if mainly on paper. In practice, though, the situation looks different.

Creating, shaping or reviewing policies in a way to address the “real” issues of life is always a challenge. Some polices arrange people’s lives, assuming that it is a homogenous and gender-less group of persons. However, besides policies that address specific gender issues like domestic violence against women, policies addressing general issues (like climate change, education, public health) need to be responsive to gender aspects of life. As UNDP rightly points out: “When policymakers claim a policy is gender-neutral, they are usually being gender-blind”. The integration of a society into the culture of gender equality should start from gender-responsive policymaking.

Gender-sensitive policies

Gender-responsive policymaking initiatives mobilise women activities and leaders to focus on different problem realisation levels and design, apply, and implement policies that respect gender equality. According to the handbook of gender-responsive policymaking this type of politics “helps more than just women — it is about addressing the different needs and priorities of all persons regardless of their sex. Doing so helps ensure that all community members are equally valued, policies are more effective, and the world is more just, productive and peaceful. In effect, gender-responsive policymaking is simply smart policymaking”.

Gender-responsive policymaking, such as legislative drafting and innovation, can be provided with training courses. Yet, centralising it as a norm is a long-term task and also a culturally challenging process. In Pakistan, despite over a decade of sustained efforts to construct democracy, there is still much to be done regarding general policymaking skills. Elected officials, civil servants and politicians are not always keen to receive training. How can one fit policies to a plural society’s needs while there is little interest to update the methods? This concern needs to be taken seriously, because if policies are not smart, then they fail to be applied. The cost of failed policies can be high, especially for young democracies like Pakistan.

Roadblocks ahead

The two main challenges of institutionalising gender-responsive policymaking in Pakistan are:

1) Many organisations focus on authorities as a target group, rather than, for example, on young female students. Men of all walks of life must be included in the target group as well. Unfortunately, often budgets are earmarked to be used only for activities with women. To achieve SDG5 (gender equality), we need gender-inclusive training programs. Men, women, and the LGBTQ community have to be part of the process.

2)  Lack of continuity in policymaking projects. Different political changes in Pakistan have shifted the support to gender activities in various ways. For instance, in the post 9/11 era, secularisation projects attracted INGOs’ attention, while female entrepreneurship became a “hit” in more recent years. There is a need for project and funding continuity to address the legislative aspect of all gender policies. They should not face funding gaps or be just seasonal.

Gender equality must become a priority for Pakistan. General issues, such as education, environment and health, all affect women’s lives disproportionally. Reaching the targets of SDG5 will not only lead to achieving gender equality, but it will also affect SDG 1 (no poverty) and SDG 2 (zero hunger). In the long-term, it will also help achieve SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) and even SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).

Text editor: Gabriela Keseberg Dávalos

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