Pakistan ranked second last on Global Gender Gap Index

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ranking stands at 143rd position in 2016 among 144 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The country’s ranking was standing at the same position of 143rd in 2015. The world is facing an acute misuse of talent by not acting faster to tackle gender inequality, which could put economic growth at risk and deprive economies of the opportunity to develop, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2016, which was published on Tuesday.

Pakistan (at 143) remains the region’s lowest-ranked country and second-to-last ranked overall. It records progress on closing the secondary education enrolment gender gap, and on women’s estimated earned income, but this is partly offset by reversals on wage equality and female-to-male literacy ratios.

Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer of Mishal Pakistan, the country partner institute of the Global Competitiveness and Benchmarking Network, World Economic Forum said, “Pakistan remains one of the few countries in the world, which does not have a female federal minister, whereas, there are only two state ministers at the centre”. He further said, “The provinces of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, each also have only one female minister in their cabinet. Balochistan remains with no female minister in its cabinet.”

Jahangir further said, “Pakistan needs to concentrate more in creating an enabling environment to bring its women leaders into decision making roles, both in the public as well as private sectors.”

Pakistan’s scores on the Four Pillars of the Global Gender Gap Index has not improved much from last year. Both on the Economic Participation and Opportunity Pakistan Scores at (143) and Education Attainment (135) Pakistan has not changed from last year. On Health and Survival Pillar Pakistan has improved from 125 last year to 124 in 2016. However, on the Political Empowerment, Pakistan has been ranked at 90 as compared to 87 in 2015.

The report is an annual benchmarking exercise that measures progress towards parity between men and women in four areas: Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, Economic Opportunity and Political Empowerment.

Originally published in The News