P1 : just one-quarter of Pakistani women were in the labor force, versus 86% of men.
ANS : It is because most Pakistanis don't want their women to work and feed the house. It is cultural thing. The women in Pakistan are mostly social and are mostly house wives. It is not like someone has ban them from work.
IMO : This must stop. Its 21st century, if half of country's population sits at home, country can never progress.
Can't help to agree here more, sadly even when women in Pakistan attain education to masters level they choose to focus on home building and raising family because of the mindset that considers working not very honorable or as per family values.
Here's the dawn link on contribution of female doctors to Pakistani society, 50% of female doctors never work.
50pc of female doctors never work after graduation - Pakistan - DAWN.COM
Pakistanis is a classic example of patriarchal society, male members of the family are overbearing, overprotecting, and the fact that they bear total financial responsibility makes them very authoritative over women.
All the ills (forced marriage, honor killings, domestic violence and acid attacks) that are mentioned in another article on this thread (Pakistan being 3rd most dangerous place to live...) find the roots that Pakistani men have dis proportionate authority over the household and the fact that woman is an asset linked to honor, she must be protected and shielded. The kinds of attrociticities committed against women in Pakistan are different from other equally under developed countries, where the dominant crimes are rape and human trafficking that are mainly committed by strangers, the injustices in Pakistan against women are so many times committed by their very protectors.
Someone can argue that men go out of the way to protect women in Pakistan and how is that bad? They save them from the responsibility of earning and they protect them from the evil out there.
There is nothing much wrong with that in its essence, and I am thankful that women find someone to look after them as not everyone will be able to work all along, but the demand of the hour is to have balance, men should let women enter the workforce, this change will bring positive results in nation building , more educated and constructive contributions from women to society would lead to higher levels of education and literacy for the coming generations as women directly and considerably influence kids , not forgetting to mention that it will also raise overall family income for the current household.
Point to be noted here is we need more education and awareness how to remain respectful in mixed environments, welcoming women to workforce shouldn't mean that we should give up our values and decency.
Although I feel this mindset shift (women entering professional fields) in Pakistani society is already on its way.....