WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN PAKISTAN: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Pakistan is a country that has been facing the biggest problem of gender inequality since its inception and has been considered one of the worst performers for decades, especially in terms of women's economic empowerment. Strategic analysis shows that this threat is the result of religious misrepresentation as well as many political, socio-economic and cultural barriers. Rendering to world economic forum report of 2018, Pakistan is classified 148th out of 149 countries. In Pakistan, women, who make up about half of the population, are deprived of basic services such as domestic violence, poverty, poor health, economic dependence and low literacy rates, with little difference between metropolitan and rural life. At the same time, this research should carefully address this issue and point out that legal reforms are necessary and indispensable for the participation of women in the economic development of the country. This will be a first stride to provide objective measure of how specific regulations, implementation and protection of inheritance of property right affect women’s inclusive participation in economic development. The study is correlated to new index introduced by WBL2019 which is structured around eight indicators that encompass different stages of women’s working life, provide essential grounds for economic standing of women, the particular emphasis will be on seventh indicator that is managing assets that involves ownership and inheritance of property. Keywords: Economic empowerment, Legal reforms, Property rights, Inclusive participation, WBL