Karachi:
Pakistan hit the rock floor in the latest global gender gap index prepared in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2025 on Thursday, with its total parity score, which fell from last year’s 57% to 56.7%.
The Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) benchmarks annually the current state and development of gender parity in 148 countries across four key dimensions – economic participation and opportunity, educational achievement, health and survival and political empowerment.
This year’s Global Gender Gap report comes at a time when the world is in Flux as technological breakthroughs, geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainties create unprecedented challenges as well as bring new opportunities.
“The occupation of the index (148), Pakistan sees its overall parity result fall from last year’s edition, from 57% to 56.7%. Overall, Pakistan has closed +2.3 of his gender gap since 2006,” the report said.
“However, this year’s results are another fall in a row from the economy’s best score of 57.7%, achieved in 2023. Parity in economic participation and opportunity falls by 1.3 percentage points,” it added.
While indicators of financial representation have remained unchanged according to the report, the income difference in Pakistan has risen slightly since the last edition (+.02 points), as well as perceived pay (+4 percentage points).
“The only Subindex advantage registered by Pakistan in this year’s edition is educational achievement that runs educational parity upwards by +1.5 percentage points to reach 85.1%. Part of the shift is driven by an increase in female literacy (from 46.5%to 48.5%).”
The report noted that parity had also risen because male registration shares had fallen into tertiary education, which increased the relative balance of men and women but lowered the overall education area.
In the economy, the report see political parity falls from 12.2% by 2024 to 11% by 2025. While parity in parliament is increasing by +1.2 percentage points, women’s ministerial representation decreases from 5.9% by 2024 to zero by 2025.
