Abstract
The SDGs’ commitment to inclusive growth reflects an increasing international concern with the inclusiveness of macro-economic development. Yet, although research underscores that economic growth is not gender-neutral, gender dimensions remain a footnote to these debates. This article explores the connection between growth performance and gender inequalities in the case of Pakistan. The country’s macro-economic performance has been characterised as a case of ‘growth without development’. More specifically, severe gender inequalities and women’s marginalisation in international comparison have persisted even in phases of high GDP growth. This paradoxical situation offers a fertile context for the analysis of how empowering macro-economic growth has been and can be for women. We investigate how empowering growth has been for women in Pakistan by exploring aggregate data on sectoral growth and gendered employment. Our analysis does not suggest the straightforward win–win for growth and women’s empowerment espoused in Pakistan’s national policy vision. Rather, we find that women’s employment is precarious—women are largely viewed as secondary earners engaging in distress sale of labour.
Highlights
The commitment to ‘inclusive and sustainable economic growth’ in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) reflects an increasing international concern with the inclusiveness of macro-economic development (see ADB 2014; G20 2018; OECD 2018; United Nations 2015; United Nations Development Programme 2017; International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague, The NetherlandsLahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, PakistanVol.:(0123456789)World Bank 2009). Hirway (2012: 65) considers growth performance inclusive if it includes poor and marginalised socio-economic groups as partners and beneficiaries in the growth process
In order to study whether macro-economic growth has been associated with empowerment for women in Pakistan, we examine the nexus between growth and gendered employment
Khan’s (2012a, b) notion of inclusive growth that underlines its association with broad-based employment creation is based on the acknowledgement that while macro-economic growth might be an important factor in providing employment opportunities for women and men, it is not a sufficient condition (Berg 2013: 47–48)
Summary
The commitment to ‘inclusive and sustainable economic growth’ in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) reflects an increasing international concern with the inclusiveness of macro-economic development Despite international and national commitments (for example, as a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and with a National Policy for Development and Empowerment of Women in place since 2002), Pakistan is characterised by wide gender gaps and marginalisation of women in the areas of health, education and labour market opportunities This is reflected in Pakistan’s extremely low ranking in the Global Gender Gap Index 2020, as the world’s third-worst country in terms of equitable division of resources and opportunities among men and women (World Economic Forum 2019: 9). The definitions of major economic sectors in our analysis follow the Pakistan Standard Industrial Classification (PSIC) (see, e.g. PBS 2010) This volatility in female wage employment as well as the counter-rotating trends of female self-employment reflect that women in Pakistan are largely viewed as secondary earners engaging in distress sale of labour.
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