SUMMARY of the article “Increasing Margins” by Arooj Waheed Dar, published on November 15, 2023
The economic challenges in Pakistan can be traced to factors such as exclusive institutions, limited equal opportunities, and a lack of entrepreneurship, particularly for women, leading to low productivity and economic growth. Gender disparity and financial exclusion persist, hindering women’s entrepreneurial potential. Statistics from the Labour Force Survey for 2020-21 reveal that only 2% of employers in Pakistan are women, and a substantial 60% of working women are contributing family workers. Limited education and vocational training options, coupled with cultural constraints affecting women’s mobility, contribute to the scarcity of decent work opportunities for women. The article emphasizes the need for policymakers to address gender disparities by focusing on digital and financial inclusion. Digitalization, by expanding women’s access to devices, internet, and digital literacy, can enable them to participate in economic activities from the safety of their homes. Additionally, enhancing digital financial services and awareness can empower women economically, leading to increased female entrepreneurship and contributing to a more inclusive and productive economy.
Easy/Short SUMMARY:
The economic challenges in Pakistan, including low productivity and growth, are linked to factors like exclusive institutions and limited opportunities, particularly for women. The Labour Force Survey indicates a stark gender disparity, with only 2% of employers being women. The article highlights the importance of addressing these issues through digital and financial inclusion. Digitalization, by providing women with access to devices and digital literacy, can empower them to engage in economic activities from home. Improving digital financial services and awareness is crucial for enhancing women’s economic participation, ultimately leading to increased female entrepreneurship and a more inclusive economy.
SOLUTIONS of The Problem:
Digital Inclusion
Promote digital inclusion by expanding women’s access to devices, internet connectivity, and digital literacy to enable their active participation in economic activities.
Financial Inclusion
Enhance financial inclusion by improving access to digital financial services, raising awareness about digital payment methods, and ensuring better regulation to facilitate women’s access to financial resources.
Educational Opportunities
Implement programs that provide educational opportunities for women, focusing on both formal education and skill development. Include counseling on entrepreneurship in training programs to promote a more diverse skill set.
Safe and Affordable Transportation
Address the issue of safe and affordable transportation for women by advocating for cultural shifts, providing more options, and ensuring safety measures in public transportation.
Policy Reforms
Advocate for policy reforms that prioritize gender equality, equal opportunities, and financial inclusion, ensuring that women can actively contribute to economic growth.
IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the article:
- According to the Labour Force Survey for 2020-21, only 2% of employers in Pakistan are women.
- Around 60% of working women in Pakistan are contributing family workers.
- A significant portion of working women (70.5%) has never attended school, and only 6.25% have formal degrees.
- In 2022, only 8% of bank account holders were female, with limited knowledge of digital payment methods.
MCQs from the Article:
- What percentage of employers in Pakistan are women, according to the Labour Force Survey?
A. 5%
B. 2%
C. 10%
D. 15% -
What percentage of working women in Pakistan are contributing family workers?
A. 40%
B. 50%
C. 60%
D. 70% -
In 2022, what percentage of bank account holders in Pakistan were female?
A. 12%
B. 15%
C. 8%
D. 5% -
What is the primary focus of the majority of the population in Pakistan, according to the article?
A. Entrepreneurship
B. Seeking employment
C. Digital literacy
D. Vocational training -
What is emphasized as the cornerstone of decent work opportunities for women in Pakistan?
A. Cultural shifts
B. Digital and financial inclusion
C. Educational programs
D. Policy reforms
VOCABULARY:
-
Dearth (noun) (کمی): A scarcity or lack of something.
-
Decree (verb) (حکم): To order or decide by decree.
-
Disparity (noun) (اختلاف): A great difference or inequality.
-
Entrepreneurship (noun) (کاروباری حکمت عملی): The activity of setting up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.
-
Dismal (adjective) (غمگین): Depressing; dreary.
-
Vocational (adjective) (تعلق خاص): Relating to education or training that provides practical experience in a particular trade or profession.
-
Constrained (adjective) (محدود): Restricted or limited.
-
Inclusive (adjective) (شامل): Including or covering all the services, facilities, or items normally expected or required.
-
Optimum (adjective) (آپٹمم): Most conducive to a favorable outcome; best.
-
Imperative (adjective) (لازمی): Of vital importance; crucial.
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Increasing margins
by Arooj Waheed Dar
THE economic turmoil in Pakistan can be attributed to several reasons including, but not limited to, exclusive institutions and lack of equal opportunities, that have culminated in low productivity and low economic growth. Exclusivity coupled with lack of entrepreneurship, particularly for women, have resulted in the dearth of innovation, limiting investment by the richer segments in non-productive sectors.
Sustainable and inclusive development decrees that equal opportunities must be available for all irrespective of age, gender, religion, etc. Despite this realisation, policymakers have failed to effectively address the issue of gender disparity and financial inclusion, limiting the entrepreneurial potential of women in Pakistan.
With low levels of saving and investment, the primary focus of the majority of the population in Pakistan remains centred on seeking employment rather than creating job opportunities. In terms of entrepreneurship, Pakistan presents a dismal situation for women who toil away, employing their skills and talents for meagre daily wages, or for no pay.
According to the Labour Force Survey for 2020-21, only two per cent of employers in Pakistan are women, representing a mere 0.1pc of the total working female population. Eighteen per cent working women are own-account workers. A staggering majority of working women, around 60pc, are contributing family workers. Not only do these statistics raise alarm regarding the lack of female entrepreneurship, they also underscore the scarcity of decent work opportunities for women in Pakistan.
Digitalisation will give women easy access to markets.
However, these figures, though worrying, are not surprising, given that 70.5pc of these working women have never attended school and only 6.25pc have graduated with formal degrees. While training programnes are in place, those which are reserved for women focus primarily on skill provision such as tailoring, cooking, beauty parlour training, and so on. No counselling is provided on entrepreneurship. Lack of access to credit and/or initial capital prevents women from pursuing and creating decent work opportunities.
Additionally, the lack of options for safe and affordable transportation inhibits the capacity of women to engage in entrepreneurial activities. In Pakistan, a large part of female mobility is controlled — women need permission and an escort. While men have the cost-effective option to commute by motorbikes and bicycles, women either choose to stay at home, or remain dependent on males to accompany them due to cultural constraints. Commuting via public transport poses the risk of harassment, while travelling by rickshaws, Qingchis and cabs is becoming increasingly unaffordable. All this coupled with the atrociousness of the idea of a female travelling by Bykea keeps women restrained at home.
The sheer magnitude of the consequences of these problems mandates serious action from policymakers. Historically, the government has exerted fruitless effort in trying to raise tax revenues by burdening the salaried classes beyond its capacity, but has failed to implement more sustainable and productive ways to raise revenues. What better way is there to increase the tax base than to productively engage more than half the population confined at homes due to fear of harassment, burden of household responsibilities, lack of mobility, cultural norms, or lack of knowledge?
These constraints are not difficult to evade — digitalisation presents an optimum solution to the problem. With the advent of e-commerce forums, it is becoming increasingly crucial to provide digital access to women so they can engage in economic activities from the safety of their homes. To improve digital access for females, measures need to be taken to expand device ownership, internet access, as well as digital literacy. Currently, women in Pakistan remain disadvantaged across all three domains. Through digitalisation, women will have easy access to markets and better knowledge of opportunities for innovation and growth.
Enhancing the accessibility of digital financial services for women is also imperative. In 2022, only 8pc of bank account holders were female, with very few women familiar with digital payment methods. Microfinancing, while available, has only had limited impact on female entrepreneurship since women often borrow on behalf of male relatives. Hence, better regulation and digital payment awareness are crucial to enhancing women’s access to financial services, which can in turn lead to increased female entrepreneurship.
In a nutshell, digital and financial inclusion are the cornerstones of decent work opportunities for women in Pakistan.
The writer is a senior research associate at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad. The views are the writer’s own and do not reflect the SDPI’s position.
Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2023