Islamabad: A special committee, led by Dr. Nafisa Shah, has revealed troubling gender disparities within Pakistan’s federal government, emphasizing the alarmingly low representation of women across various governmental bodies and departments.
The findings, presented during a meeting of the Gender Mainstreaming Committee, show that women’s representation in key governmental sectors remains well below the targeted 33% benchmark. According to the data, women make up only 8.08% of employees in the federal secretariat, 5.30% in constitutional bodies, 5.92% in departments and subordinate offices, and just 5.71% in autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies.
Out of 357 federal entities, only 41 boards have achieved the 33% women representation target. Another 88 boards are currently in the process of constitution, while 132 entities still have no established boards.
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In response to these disparities, the Gender Mainstreaming Committee has put forward several key recommendations. These include the completion of board constitutions with 33% women representation within the next three months, ensuring the provision of essential amenities for women in all public offices, and enhancing the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to collect accurate gender parity data.
The committee also highlighted some positive initiatives, such as the establishment of daycare centers in all public sector entities, the provision of separate prayer halls, washrooms, and common rooms in 42 ministries and divisions, and proposals to convert underutilized departmental buses into dedicated transport services for women employees in Islamabad.
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