On International Women’s Day, we look at damning statistics that show the grim reality for women in Pakistan.
Pakistan ranks horribly across indices in 2024
Pakistan ranks horribly across key indicators for the gender gap. Out of 146 countries, Pakistan ranks
- 145 on the global gender index
- 143 on economic participation
- 139 on educational attainment
- 132 on health & survival
- 113 on political empowerment


Female Education Attainment Pakistan
The scores and statistics for women’s education in Pakistan are alarming.
- Pakistan ranks 137/146 on the female literacy rate
- Pakistan ranks 125/146 in enrolment in primary education
- The female literacy rate stands at 52.8%
- 47.3 million girls above 5 have never attended school
- 13.4 million are girls among 25.4 million out-of-school children in Pakistan
- Females in Pakistan have lower literacy rates compared to men across all age brackets



Women’s Economic Participation in Pakistan
Women are systematically disadvantaged in workplaces in Pakistan, and the statistics are quite grim.
Pakistan ranks:
- 143 on female labour force participation
- 81 on wage equity
- 140 on female legislators, senior officials and managers
- 145 on women in leadership roles
Moreover,
- Only 3.4% of firms have female top managers
- Only 8% of working females are working in top and middle-level management roles
- There are 8 million females who work as unpaid family helpers