International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (March 8) — A global day to celebrate the social economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
Do you ever wonder what significant impact a woman can make in a country’s betterment journey if she is given all her rights and freedom? Let’s take a road back today to recall the importance of women on this remarkable day of the calendar — 8th March, international women’s day. Every year on 8th March women’s day is celebrated in many countries.
Research has shown that when women are empowered and given equal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, they can contribute significantly to their families, communities, and ultimately the development of their countries. Empowering women means investing in their potential and providing them with the necessary tools to reach their full potential. This includes actions such as providing access to quality education, training programs, financial support, and promoting gender equality in all aspects of life. When women are better educated and financially stable, they are more likely to make informed decisions about themselves, their families, and their communities.
Throughout history, women are proven to have played great roles in forming and influencing societies even when their contributions were often ignored and undervalued due to gender biases, considering women as second-class citizens with very limited rights to work. In many countries, women still face opposing challenges due to various social, and cultural expectations. This discrimination is resulting in women having very limited access to educational, economic, and even healthcare opportunities thus hindering the growth of communities across the country.
Most of the successful countries in the world have a high women workforce ratio than men. In those countries, women have tried to overcome obstacles and continue to make oblivious contributions in fields like science, technology, politics, and business. The role of women in the business field is very critical for imperishable social progress and economic development. Women possess unique leadership skills. They bring diversity, creativity, and innovation to the workplace. Moreover, the active participation of women in the business world that has enhanced society as a whole can be measured by the role played by women in the 20th century. During world war II women took the responsibility for non-traditional roles in the workforce such as working in factories and industries to support the war efforts at that time.
Regardless of the importance of women around the globe, their achievements, and their positive contribution, there are certain countries where still womanhood is not celebrated and the contribution of women is restricted. One of those unfortunate countries is Pakistan.
According to Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2022, Pakistan is placed at 145th number having a very small contribution of around 4.5% in all sorts of managerial and jurisdictive roles. In addition to this, Pakistan is ranked 5th on the world population scale and the country’s absolute education system has a 13 percent gender gap in enrollment and above 40% in general which is even worse than Afghanistan where women are not even allowed to go to college by the Taliban government. As only 46.5 percent of women are literate, 61.6 percent attended primary school, 34.2 percent obtained high school, and 8.3 percent acquired tertiary education.
The women’s workforce can contribute a lot to the GDP of a country. According to research conducted by McKinsey if the female workforce contribution is increased the global GDP can raise up to $12 Trillion over the period of 10 years. Similarly, another study reveals that the GDP of a country can be increased 4 times if the women’s participation in the workforce is increased. Over the past years Bangladesh’s women workforce has contributed to its economy as the women workforce rose to 31.15% of the total female population of 48% which is higher than the female workforce in Pakistan reported at around 20.65% of the total 49% women population.
Pakistan needs to improve the women’s workforce by providing them with their rights and freedom to do wonders. The GDP of Pakistan can be enhanced by 23% i.e $80 billion if women are provided with the right resources and opportunities. This will not only improve the economy of Pakistan but also will convince the most influential countries of the world to engage in business activities with Pakistan.
Every woman, especially the 75 million young enthusiastic women should be the focus. If treated as a country, the 75 million Pakistani women alone can rank among the 20 largest countries in the world, which is larger than many countries put together. As a nation, it is our responsibility to give these 75 million women the right to contribute to the economy and success of the country. This Women’s day let us promise to grow together for the betterment of our beloved country Pakistan.
Happy Women’s day to all the incredible women across the globe!
