Women’s socio-economic empowerment, Sustainable Development Goal 05, and Pakistan’s commitment: an assessment

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the condition of women's socio-economic empowerment in Pakistan and its position regarding Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, which relates to “gender equality and women empowerment”. The paper highlights the socio-economic dilemmas of Pakistani women and discusses the impediments they face in the exercise of their fundamental rights. The article establishes that while Pakistan is making constant efforts to draft pro-women laws, the country continues to face critical challenges regarding its effective implementation. The question is, what are the programs, strategies, schemes, and plans that government, its institutions, civil societies, and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) can introduce and incorporate to improve women's circumstances and safeguard their interests? This paper identifies the discrimination against women as the root cause behind their socio-economic stagnation, it thus concludes that national development is not possible until gender parity and empowerment of women are implemented in its true letter and spirit as guaranteed in “Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan” and other laws of land respectively.