An Analytical Study Of Gender Differentials In Socio-Economic Development In Pakistan

Abstract

Gender differentials in socio-economic development are found all over the world. Socio-economic pursuits and opportunities are segregated as per se the division on the basis of gender specification rather than any specialization. Economic opportunities and pursuits are unofficially pronounced and implemented practically in various fields. The pronouncement is more practiced and is implemented in letter and spirit in the developing world. The obvious reason is that the technological inventions and thereafter diffusion is yet to reach at its full swing in that part of the world. There is also some sort of the realization that in the Muslim world including Pakistan, women are assigned less economic productive roles and activities. They include producing and rearing up the children, doing household chores, sewing clothes in the home, feeding the buffaloes and cows in villages, and above all putting their efforts and energies in such tasks which are considered economically unproductive. As a result the social standing of women in the society is secondary than their men folk. That alarms and affects their overall social status because bread earner is considered superior than the dependent. The women are considered dependent. This article attempts and enlists the allied factors and the variables which are considered important on the overall socio-economic pursuits and social status of the Pakistani women. An attempt also has been made to discuss the basic manifestations of discrimination in socio-economic development and its salient implications for prevalent socio-economic system of the country.