
Women's Day goes mostly unnoticed
An elderly woman sells bangles along Satyana Road in Faisalabad. International Women's Day was observed across the world on Saturday. photo: online
International Women's Day passed with little official recognition in Faisalabad, as no significant events, rallies, or awareness programs were organized at the government level.
The only official acknowledgment came from Commissioner Faisalabad, Mariam Khan, who issued a statement through the information department, expressing solidarity with Pakistani women. However, she spent the day attending an official meeting on the Ramadan pay order distribution package.
Similarly, Deputy Commissioner Faisalabad, Captain (retd) Nadeem Nasir, limited his involvement to chairing a District Design and Planning Committee meeting, which approved commercial projects, including plazas and petrol pumps in the city.
Despite Faisalabad's large female population, the absence of official observances stood in contrast to past years. However, a silver lining emerged in the private sector, where Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) marked the occasion with a dedicated event focusing on gender equality and the challenges faced by marginalised women.
The HRFP-TFD event, held under the UN theme "For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment," brought together women from diverse backgrounds to raise awareness about discrimination and promote collective efforts toward a more inclusive society. Discussions centered on gender equality as a fundamental component of achieving the United Nations' 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
HRFP President Naveed Walter emphasized that gender equality is a basic human right and a key driver of economic development, productivity, and social progress. However, he pointed out that deep-rooted discrimination continues to limit women's opportunities, particularly in the workforce, where wage gaps and professional segregation persist.
Walter also highlighted the specific challenges faced by religious minority women, particularly Christian and Hindu communities in Pakistan. He noted that these women are disproportionately subjected to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, as well as forced conversions and marriages.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Pakistan likely to hike defence spending but slash overall budget in 2025-26
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will unveil its annual federal budget for the coming fiscal year later on Tuesday, seeking to kickstart growth while finding resources for an expected hike in defence expenditure following the conflict with India last month. Islamabad will also have to contend with remaining within the discipline of its International Monetary Fund programme and the uncertainty from new trade tariffs being imposed by the United States, its biggest export market. Media reports say the government is likely to present a 17.6 trillion rupee ($62.45 billion) budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, down 6.7% from this fiscal year. It has projected a fiscal deficit of 4.8% of GDP, against a targeted 5.9% deficit in 2024-25, the reports say. Analysts said they expect an increase of around 20% in the defence budget, likely offset by cuts in development spending. Pakistan allocated 2.1 trillion Pakistani rupees($7.45 billion) for defence in the outgoing fiscal year, including $2 billion for equipment and other assets. An additional 563 billion rupees ($1.99 billion) was set aside for military pensions, which are not counted within the official defence budget. India's defence spending in its 2025–26 (April-March) fiscal year was set at $78.7 billion, a 9.5% increase from the previous year, including pensions and $21 billion earmarked for equipment. It has indicated it will step up expenditure following the May conflict with Pakistan. The government of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has projected 4.2% economic growth in 2025-26, saying it has steadied the economy, which had looked at risk of defaulting on its debts as recently as 2023. Growth this fiscal year is likely to be 2.7%, against an initial target of 3.6% set in the budget last year. Economic Survey 2024-25: Pakistan misses growth target Pakistan's growth lags far behind the region. In 2024, South Asian countries grew by an average of 5.8% and 6.0% growth is expected in 2025, according to the Asian Development Bank. Rate cuts not enough Expansion of the economy should be aided by a sharp drop in the cost of borrowing, the government says, after a succession of interest rate cuts by the central bank. But economists warn that monetary policy alone may not be enough, with fiscal constraints and IMF-mandated reforms still weighing on investment. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Monday that he wanted to avoid Pakistan's boom and bust cycles of the past. 'The macroeconomic stability that we have achieved, we want to absolutely stay the course,' he said. 'This time around we are very, very clear that we do not want to squander the opportunity.' The budget is expected to prioritize expanding the tax base, enforcing agriculture income tax laws, and reducing government subsidies to industry, to meet the terms of a $7 billion IMF bailout signed last summer. Just 1.3% of the population paid income tax in 2024, according to the tax authorities, with agriculture and the retail sector largely outside of the tax net. The IMF has urged Pakistan to widen the tax base through reforms which include taxing agriculture, retail, and real estate. Ahmad Mobeen, senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said that he expected the revenue target for 2025-26 will be missed. 'The shortfall will mostly be owing to lack of optimal implementation of announced measures as well as absence of meaningful structural reforms to widen the tax net in general,' said Mobeen.


Business Recorder
6 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Pak delegation interacts with Chatham House
LONDON: A high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by former Foreign minister and Chairman Pakistan People Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, engaged with eminent members of the British think tank, academia, and policymaking community at the prestigious Chatham House, one of the UK's leading think tanks focused on foreign and security policy issues. The closed-door discussion was held under the 'Chatham House Rules,' which is used around the world to encourage inclusive and open dialogue in meetings. Bhutto Zardari and other delegation members conveyed Pakistan's perspective on the recent escalation in South Asia while expressing serious concern about India's unprovoked military aggression that resulted in civilian casualties and posed a significant threat to regional stability. They underscored that India's actions constituted a clear violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, international law, and the United Nations Charter. The Pakistan delegation said that Pakistan's armed forces, with the full support of the people of Pakistan, had given a befitting response to India, demonstrating Pakistan's resolve to defend its sovereignty, and thwarting India's ambitions to set any new so-called 'normal' in the region. Bhutto Zardari strongly denounced India's unilateral and illegal suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. He warned that the weaponisation of water undermines international norms and sets a perilous precedent. He urged the international community to take notice of this alarming development and hold India to account for its actions. The delegation noted that the pending resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains the principal stumbling block to lasting peace and stability in the region. They urged the international community to support meaningful dialogue and ensure respect for international commitments and human rights. The other members of the delegation include Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr Musadik Masood Malik; Chairperson, Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and former Minister for Information and Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman; Chairperson, National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar; former Minister for Commerce, Defence and Foreign Affairs, Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan; MQM's Parliamentary Leader in the Senate and former Minister for Maritime Affairs, Senator Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, former Foreign secretaries, Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani and Ambassador Tehmina Janjua. Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK Dr Mohammad Faisal was also present during the round table conference. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025


Express Tribune
9 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Labour market faces mismatch between skills, demand
Pakistan's labour market is facing key challenges, including a mismatch between workforce skills and global demands, low female participation in green and digital sectors, reliance on Gulf countries for overseas jobs, which makes remittances vulnerable, and irregular migration and human smuggling – the issues that remain unresolved. The economy is dependent on unskilled labour migration, with regional disparities and slow progress in vocational training reforms. High migration costs, irregular migration and outdated safety standards further pose risks to both domestic employment and foreign labour prospects. Urgent policy action is needed to bridge skill gaps, empower women, diversify labour markets and ensure safe migration. The Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25, released on Monday, has identified several critical challenges facing the country's labour market, youth employment and overseas workforce, raising concerns over the pace and effectiveness of government reforms. According to the Seventh Population and Housing Census conducted in 2023, the population of Pakistan has reached 241.5 million, comprising 124.3 million males and 117.2 million females. A notable demographic characteristic of Pakistan is its substantial youth population as it has 26% of individuals aged between 15 and 29 years and 53.8% of the total population within the working-age group of 15 to 59 years. While initiatives such as the Prime Minister's Digital Youth Hub and the National Adolescent and Youth Policy show promise in addressing the evolving needs of the youth, the survey reveals that the mismatch between workforce skills and market demands remains a persistent obstacle. A significant proportion of Pakistani emigrants – around 50% – still belong to the unskilled labour category, limiting their earnings potential in international markets. According to the 2024 data of the Pakistani workers registered for overseas employment, 50% (366,092) fall under the unskilled category while 35% (255,706) are skilled workers. Although there has been a slight decline compared to 2023, the unskilled labour is in high demand globally, particularly in construction, domestic work and agricultural sectors. Experts warn that gender disparity is another serious concern. Women are underrepresented in the sectors expected to benefit from green and digital transitions. The report cites International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates indicating that female workers are likely to benefit 30 to 46 percentage points less than men in emerging employment opportunities, primarily due to male-dominated industries and inadequate access for women to STEM education and digital skills training. According to an ILO brief, investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 are expected to generate 37.2 million more jobs than the business-as-usual scenario. Additionally, investments aimed at universal broadband coverage by 2023 are projected to create 23.5 million more jobs. The survey flags Pakistan's overreliance on Gulf countries for overseas employment, with 96% of registered migrant workers heading to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This dependence exposes Pakistan's remittance inflows – a major source of foreign exchange – to regional economic and political shifts. In addition, the lack of highly skilled migrant professionals reduces Pakistan's competitiveness in advanced sectors such as healthcare, IT and engineering. In 2024, the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) and the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) registered 727,381 workers for overseas employment. According to BE&OE, more than 62% (452,562) of Pakistani workers moved to Saudi Arabia for employment, followed by Oman (11%), to earn a living. The UAE employed 64,130 Pakistani workers (9%) while Qatar offered jobs to 40,818 individuals (6%). Bahrain and Malaysia hosted 25,198 workers (3%) and 5,790 workers (1%), respectively. Since 1972, more than 14.22 million Pakistanis have proceeded abroad for employment in over 50 countries through official procedures till March 2025. Provincial imbalances persist in overseas employment trends, where Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa dominated while Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and tribal regions remain underrepresented. High migration costs, inadequate training infrastructure and socio-cultural barriers are cited as the main factors behind this disparity. In 2024, the highest number of workers who went abroad for employment was from Punjab (404,345), followed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (187,103), Sindh (60,424) and tribal areas (29,937). The ministry issued 65 new licences to overseas employment promoters (OEPs), bringing the total number of operational licence holders to 2,264. Despite the government's efforts to digitise emigration processes via the Pakistan Emigrant Management Framework (PEMF) and to enhance overseas employment opportunities through the OEC, irregular migration and human smuggling pose unresolved threats, necessitating stricter enforcement and international cooperation. The survey also points to the slow adoption of green and digital skills in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector, warning that unless reforms are accelerated, Pakistan's workforce risks falling behind in the global green economy and digital transformation wave. Occupational safety and health (OSH) frameworks remain outdated in many industries, with weak enforcement in informal and high-risk sectors. Though Pakistan has ratified several key ILO conventions, implementation challenges continue to undermine worker safety and rights protection. The report stresses that demographic pressures remain both a challenge and an opportunity. Without significant investments in education, skill development and gender-inclusive labour policies, Pakistan risks wasting its youth bulge – a potentially powerful driver of economic growth. Policy analysts recommend urgent action for bridging skill gaps, expanding women participation, diversifying labour export destinations and modernising labour policies to fully harness the human capital potential.