Social Policy for Women in Pakistan

Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
List of Images
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction: Protection and Patriarchy, Can They Co-exist?
	Introduction
	Pakistan Background
	Patriarchal Barriers to Social Protection for Women
	Defining Social Policy and Contextualization for Pakistan
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 2: Existing Social Protection Services in Pakistan
	Introduction
	The Existing Social Services in Pakistan
	Employment Security Provisions for Working People
	State Institutes and Programs for the Protection of Vulnerable Population Groups
	Major Limitations of Existing Social Protection Programs
		Weak and Inadequate Cash Transfer Coverage to Women
		Errors in Distribution
		Challenges Faced by Non-beneficiaries of Cash Transfers
		No Comprehensive Sex-disaggregated Data
		No Coverage for the Diverse Protection Needs of Different Women Groups in the Country
	Conclusion
	Note
	References
Chapter 3: Family, Housing, and Social Policy for Women of Pakistan
	Introduction
	Equality of Women in Pakistani Families
	Housing Ownership for Women a Human Right
	Housing Shortages for Women in Pakistan and Inadequacy of Data
	Women Plagued by Informal Housing and Overcrowding
	State Shortfall and Housing for Elite Groups
	The Problem with Limited Housing Loans and Barriers to Accessing Loans
	Recommendations for Family and Housing Policy for Women of Pakistan
		Basic Income for Girl Child and Tax Credits for Families with Girl Child
		Subsidies and Support for Child Daycare and Daycare for Other Dependents
		Improving Land Supply for Women
		Loan Schemes for House Ownership and Housing Maintenance for Women
		Improving Family Literacy for Equal Status and Housing Literacy in Women
		Housing Adequacy for Women and Solving Problems of Densification
		Gated Communities for Women
		Including the Women as Lawyers, Judges, Developers, Officers, and Property Agents
		State Family and Housing Policy for Women
		Coordination of Housing Policy with Other Policy Protection Measures
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 4: Food Security, Nutrition, and Social Policy for Women of Pakistan
	Introduction
	Financial Poverty and Time Poverty in Women of Pakistan
	Majority Women Workers in Informal Sector and the Agricultural Sector
	Women Workers and Their Decision-Making Power and Ability to Control Nutrition
	Undernutrition of Mother and Child in Pakistan
	What the Data from Pakistan Tells Us About Underweight Women
	State Shortfall for Food Security
	Recommendations for Food Security and Nutrition Policy for Women in Pakistan
		State Subsidization and Cash Transfers for Food Security
		Improving Work Hours and Symmetrical Assistance
		Literacy for Adapting Healthy Diet and Consuming Nutritious Meals
		Improving Nutrition of Women Agricultural and Informal Workers
		State Food and Nutrition Policy for Women
		Coordination of Food and Nutritional Policy with Other Policy Protection Measures
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 5: Environmental Challenges, Disaster Risk, and Social Policy for Women of Pakistan
	Introduction
	Pakistani Women and the Environmental Challenges They Face
		Safe Drinking Water and Wastewater
		Air pollution
		Lead Exposure
		Climatic Change and Natural Disasters
	Pakistani Women as Agents of Environmental Protection
	Data from Pakistan about Women Facing Environmental Disasters
	State Neglect for Environmental Policy
	Recommendations for Environmental and Disaster Protection Policy for Women of Pakistan
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 6: Literacy, Skill Development, and Social Policy for Women of Pakistan
	Introduction
	Literacy Trends of Females and Adult Women in Pakistan
	Cultural and Environmental Barriers to Girls’ Education
	What the Data Says aAbout Illiterate Women in Pakistan
	The Educational System in Pakistan and State Failure
	Recommendations for Literacy and Skill Development Policy for Women of Pakistan
		Improving School Attendance and Retention of Females
		Provision of School Subsidies and Completely Free Public Sector Services
		Improving Quality of Educational Services and Teacher Skills
		Improving Safety and Security on Campus and during Transit to Educational Institutes
		Improving Technological Access
		Improving Adult Literacy and Skill Development in Women
		Improving Support and Awareness for Importance of Female Education
		State Education and Skill Development Policy for Women
		Coordination of Education and Skill Development Policy with Other Policy Protection Measures
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 7: Employment, Informal Sector Work, and Social Policy for Women of Pakistan
	Introduction
	Reasons for Low Labor Force Participation in Women
	Informal and Home-Based Work Participation of Women
	Decision-Making Power and Unsymmetrical Role Burden
	What the Data Says About Occupational Groups and Unemployed Women
	State Support for Women’s Inclusion in the Economy and Social Security Protection
	Recommendations for Employment and Formal Sector Inclusion Policy for Women of Pakistan
		Improving Opportunities for Formal Sector Jobs and Removing Glass Ceilings
		Revising Minimum Pay and Securing Employment Benefits for all Women Workers
		Improving Support to Women Workers through Unionization and Social Organizations
		Improving Workplace Safety
		Improving Home-Based Work Opportunities
		Improving Community Literacy and Support for Working Women
		State Employment and Formal Sector Inclusion Policy for Women
		Coordination of Labor Policy with Other Policy Protection Measures
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 8: The Quintuple Health Burden and Social Policy for Women in Pakistan
	Introduction
	Cultural and Cost Barriers to Healthcare Utilization
	Health Service Quality Issues
	Health Data of Women in Pakistan
	State Health Policy and Regulation
	Recommendations for Pakistan’s Health and Social Sector Reform to Support Women’s Health Outcomes
		Improving Health Access to All Women Groups
		Improving Health Service Quality
		Improving Health Service Uptake By Women
		Literacy and Awareness for Women’s Health Needs
		State Health Policy for Women
		Coordination of Housing Policy with Other Policy Protection Measures
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 9: Planning Prudent Pilot Projects Before Launch and Upscale of Social Protection Interventions for Women
	Introduction
	Cash Transfer Experiments for Family Wellbeing
	Medicinal and Supplementation Interventions for Women’s Health
	Counseling Interventions for Women’s Wellbeing
	Combination Interventions for Women’s Wellbeing
	Health Education and Awareness Interventions for Women
	Social, Psychosocial, or Preventive Interventions for Women’s Wellbeing
	Limitations of Past Experiments for Social Protection of Women in Pakistan
		Problems in Sampling Adequacy, Retention, and Trial Duration
		Challenges in Preventing Contamination
		Inadequacy of Baseline Assessment, Perception-Based Surveys, and Confounding Variables
		Limitations in Service Quality of Intervention Facilitators
		Limitations in Funding and Financing Large-Scale Interventions
	Concluding Recommendations for Designing Better Experiments and Pilot Interventions Before Launch and Upscale of Protective Programs for Women
	References
Chapter 10: South Asia’s Collaboration for Women’s Protection and Social Policy
	Introduction
	Cultural Barriers to Gender Equality in South Asia
	Common Challenges Facing Women of South Asia
	Social Sector Spending in South Asia
	Individual Country Assessment: Women’s Status and Social Policy Efforts
		Afghanistan
		Bangladesh
		India
		Nepal
		Pakistan
		Sri Lanka
	State Failure for Women’s Policy Development Across South Asia
	Recommendations for South Asia’s Collaboration for Women’s Social Policy
		Women Social Protection Council for South Asia
		South Asia Gender Statistics Database
		South Asian Women Trade and Economic Association
		South Asian Women Security Commission
		South Asian Women’s Social Action Research Council
		South Asian Women’s Cultural and Educational Development Organization
	Conclusion
	References
Chapter 11: Sustainable Comprehensive Social Policy for Women in Pakistan: The Way Forward with Religion, Social Media, Finances, and Governance
	Introduction
	Agreeing on the Basic Principles for Comprehensive Coverage of Social Policy for Women
		Designing a Universal System for All Women Based on a Lifecycle Approach
		Developing a Comprehensive Social Protection Database
		Introducing a Robust Monitoring and Accountability System
	The Role of Religion in Sponsoring Social Policy for Women
	Using Social Media for Promoting a Culture of Social Policy and Protection for Women
	Financing Social Policy for Women in Pakistan Without External Debt
		Documenting the Informal Economy and Broadening the Tax Base
		Reallocating Budget Headings for Improved Social Sector Spending
		Exploiting Profits from State-Owned Industries and Corporate Social Responsibility
		Using Fiscal Reserves, Savings Certificates, Municipal Bonds, and Foreign Remittances
		Planning for Economic Stability Overall
		Engaging the IFIs and Foreign Investors to Invest in Social Policy
	A Separate Governance Structure and a Social Policy Workforce to Implement Social Policy for Women
		A Ministry of Social Policy for Women
		Women Protection Directors, Controllers, and Officers
		Women District Councils and Multi-sector Collaboration
			Table 11.2 attempts to reinforce the importance of multi-sector collaboration in Pakistan for the efficacy and successful implementation of social policy in the country. All the policy areas recommended in the different chapters of this book are ma
			Food Security and Nutritional Adequacy Policy
			Environmental and Disaster Protection Policy
			Education and Skill Development Policy
			Employment and Formal Sector Inclusion Policy
			Health Policy
	Conclusion
	References
Index