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Socio-Economic Context of Women
in Pakistan
-
The population of Pakistan is
almost 155 million
-
It has grown by 19 percent
since 1998
-
The male female ratio is
108:100
-
Women constitute 48 percent of
Pakistan’s
population
-
Their health and social
development indicators are
poor as compared to males,
both urban as well as in rural
areas of the province
-
The under five-mortality rate
for females is 119 as compared
to men, which is 109 per 1000
live births
-
The average age at marriage is
22 years for women
-
The estimated crude birth rate
is 34 per 1000
-
The total fertility rate is
4.5 births, by women reaching
age 45-49
-
The maternal mortality ratio
is estimated to be 500 per
100,000 live births every year
-
The overall literacy ratio in
Pakistan
is 49.9 percent
-
At the same time female
literacy ratio is only 36
percent
-
Urban areas have a higher
literacy ratio both for males
and females
-
Literacy levels for rural
women is only 20 percent
-
65.5 percent of Pakistan’s
population is rural and is
dependent on agriculture and
related sectors
Socio-Economic Context of Women
in Sindh
According to the 1998 census,
the population ofSindh is almost
30 million, which has grown by
58 percent since the last census
in 1981. The male female ratio
is 111:100 Women constitute 47
percent of Sindh’s population.1
1
‘Population and Housing Census
of Pakistan(1998), Provincial
Results of Sindh: Census
Bulletin-4, Population Census
Organization, Government of
Pakistan, Islamabad.
The
infant mortality rate for women
is 105 as compared to men, which
is 93 per 1000 live births. In
Sindh 2. the average age at
marriage is 21.6 years for women
and 25.7 years for men. The
estimated crude birth rate is 33
per 1000 and 28 percent
constitute mothers with more
than 5 births. The completed
fertility size is 6.0 births, by
women reaching age 45-49. more
than 4,000 mothers die every
year due to pregnancy related
issues.
The overall literacy ratio in
Sindh is 47 percent, which is
higher than the national ratio
of 45 percent. But at the same
time female literacy ratio is
only 36 percent against the
national average of 33 percent.
Literacy levels for rural women
are only 12 percent.
Literacy
Rate of Women in Sindh
(percentage)
|
Year |
Women |
|
1975 |
20.0 |
|
1980 |
21.5 |
|
1985 |
22.4 |
|
1990 |
23.7 |
|
1995 |
25.8 |
Table
Source: Social Policy and
Development Centre, “Social
Development in Pakistan, Annual
Review, 1998, pg 130
Social Development Indicators
for Men and Women in Sindh
|
Indicator |
Women |
Men |
|
Literacy Rate |
34.8% |
58.5% |
|
Gross Primary Enrolment |
35.2% |
58.2% |
|
Combined Primary and
Secondary |
18.1% |
29.9% |
|
Urban Literacy Rate |
56.7% |
69.4% |
|
Available # of Primary
Schools |
21,992 |
32,909 |
|
Maternal Mortality |
8/1,000 live births |
---- |
|
Infant Mortality Rate |
105/1,000 live births |
93/1,000 live births |
|
Labor Force Participation |
6.9% |
67% |
|
Top Managerial Jobs |
0.23% |
29.48% |
Source: Social Development in
Pakistan Annual Review 2001,
Ministry of Education, and
Development Statistics of
Sindh, Sindh BOS 2002
2
‘District Population Profile:
Sindh’, Operationalizing and
Interpreting Population Census
for Planning, Multi-donor
Support Unit, Islamabad, March
2002
Sindh has much more equal
distribution of over 6 million
women living in the urban areas
and just 7 million women living
in rural areas 3. Of these
approximately 3 million women
are over the age of eighteen,
residing in both urban and rural
regions.
Percentage of Women in Major
Occupation Groups in Sindh
|
Total Occupations |
All Areas |
Rural |
Urban |
|
Total |
M |
F |
Total |
M |
F |
Total |
M |
F |
|
Legislators, Senior
Officials and |
100 |
92.6 |
7.37 |
55.7 |
50.3 |
5.38 |
44.3 |
42.3 |
1.99 |
|
Managers |
13.8 |
13.6 |
0.15 |
2.68 |
2.66 |
0.3 |
11.1 |
11.0 |
0.13 |
|
Professionals |
2.53 |
2.29 |
0.23 |
0.76 |
0.74 |
0.2 |
1.77 |
1.55 |
0.22 |
|
Technicians and Associate
Professionals |
5.74 |
5.01 |
0.72 |
2.69 |
2.58 |
0.11 |
3.05 |
2.43 |
0.62 |
Source: “Labor Force Survey
1999-2000,” Federal Bureau of
Statistics, Statistics Division,
Government of Pakistan, July
2001
Percentage of Women in Major
Divisions of Industry in Sindh
|
Major Industry Division |
Rural |
Urban |
|
Agriculture, Forestry,
Hunting and Fishing |
5.15 |
0.07 |
|
Mining and Quarrying |
--- |
--- |
|
Manufacturing |
0.04 |
0.47 |
|
Electricity, Gas and Water |
0.03 |
--- |
|
Construction |
--- |
0.02 |
|
Wholesale and Retail Trade
Restaurants and Hotels |
0.03 |
0.09 |
|
Financing, Insurance, Real
Estate and Business Services |
--- |
0.04 |
|
Community, Social and
Personal Services |
0.14 |
1.30 |
Source: Labor force Survey July
2001.
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