The business environment for
women in Pakistan reflects the complex interplay of many factors, which fall
into two basic categories. The first is made up of social, cultural,
traditional and religious elements. This aspect of the environment has taken shape
over many centuries; it is anchored in the patriarchal system and clearly
manifested in the lower status of women. The gender bias of this type of system
is rigid and deep-rooted as it draws legitimacy from the perpetuation of a
traditional mind-set, established rituals and a firm belief system. The second
group of factors derives from the first group, taking the form of
constitutional and structures, policy documents; This regulatory is
arrangements institutional mechanism. Category contemporary rather than
traditional, so it is cosmetically impartial. The traditional systems pose
difficulties for women in general and entrepreneurs in particular in two ways.
First, they are inherently discriminatory; and second, they inhibit the
equity-based composition of modern institutions and their fair working, as
modern institutions are derived from traditional ones. The social and cultural
picture — with slight variations according to geographical region and social
class — perpetuates a traditional patriarchal structure with compartmentalized
gender roles.
The stereotyped functions of
reproduction and production assigned to women and men determine the overall
ambiance of Pakistani society and also establish the status of both sexes. The
reproductive role limits women to the home, where they bear children and raise
the family, playing only an auxiliary part in production activity. The
tradition of male honor associated with the chastity of their female relations
restricts women’s mobility, limits social interaction and imposes a check on
their economic activity. The social, cultural and traditional taboos on women
allow men to carve legitimacy for themselves in public affairs, as well as in
the sphere of production and related economic activity. The modern institutional
environment has a cosmetic tinge of equality and sometimes even discriminates
positively in favour of women, but the underlying power of tradition and the
vested interests of the patriarchal system work to maintain the status quo.
The legal framework, the policy
environment and the regulatory structures thus embed — or are interpreted — to
discriminate against the economic activity of women. Article 25 of the
Constitution of Pakistan (1973), for example, guarantees equality of rights to
all citizens irrespective of sex, race and class and also empowers the
government to take action to protect and promote women’s rights. But
contemporary legislation covertly discriminates against women’s economic
activity as producers and providers of services. The policy and regulatory
environments are cosmetically better as they sometimes positively discriminate
in favour of women. The most recent example is the draft Labour Policy of the
Government of Pakistan that pays lip service to female labour force issues
without announcing any tangible steps to redress the problems of women workers.
The regulatory environment does not generally discriminate against women, but
even well-intentioned provisions can sometimes result in negative
discrimination. An example would be the highly skewed labour structure of the
apparel industry in Pakistan. Employment figures show that about 90% of workers
in this sector are male. This is exactly opposite to the situation in other
South Asian countries where 90% of workers in the apparel industry are women.
The difference is explained by a labour regulation in Pakistan that restricts
the employment of women after 7 p.m. Hence the long hours often required in
this industry provide a disincentive to employ women. The problem is further
compounded by the complex interplay of traditional and contemporary factors.
The male head of a Pakistani family would not allow his female relations to
work in a factory after sunset. The domestic responsibilities of women workers
make it impossible for them to work long hours outside the home. Employers do
not like to hire women who might ask for maternity leave/benefits. And last but
not least, women trainees would not be welcome at all the production places
where Ustad-Shagird is the predominant mode of apprenticeship.
The World Bank Country Gender
Profile of Pakistan deplores the fact that the status of women in Pakistan is
among the lowest in the world. UNDP (1996) describes the strong
“inside/outside” dichotomy in Pakistan, where women are restricted to the “inside”
space of home and household, embodied in the tradition of veiling. This
restricts women's access to education, employment, training opportunities and
social services. The logical outcome of a gender-biased environment is the low
status and weak bargaining position of women. The sex-disaggregated comparison
of national statistics and comparative regional benchmarking indicate the
disadvantaged position of women who try to start or run a business in Pakistan.
Global Labour Market: Percentage
of Female
In Europe, the activity rate of
women in the labour market has increased in the last two decades.
In Denmark it is 46.9%.
In the Netherlands it increased
from 24.2% in 1975 to 40.6% in 1993.
In the USA and Canada it grew
from 37% and 32% respectively in 1970 to 45% in 1990.
In Pakistan it merely increased
from 6.6% in 1968/69 to 13.6% in 1996/97.
Characteristics of Women
Entrepreneurs
Women entrepreneurs in the
developing world make a large and often unrecognized contribution to their
countries' economicdevelopment. They employ other people, provide valuable
services, and play a vital role in the development of emerging market economies
worldwide. In the developing economies WEs are a diverse group ranging from
those who manage large conglomerates to those who operate roadside restaurants.
Barriers, some real, some perceived and some self-imposed, confront women
entrepreneurs. In the area of international business obstacles include limited
international business experience, inadequate business education and lack of
access to international networks. Societal, cultural and religious attitudes
also impede women in business. Other challenges faced by all enterprises and
women in particular are; financing, globalization of social and economic
environments, marketing,
and management. Transition
economies can pose difficult hurdles such as banking, legal aspects, political
contacts, customs tariffs, bureaucracy that daily invents new mechanisms for
the simplest procedures, and extortion. Characteristics reflected in research
of women entrepreneurs show a woman who is highly motivated, initiates action
and activity without direction, has a high internal locus of control, and
propensity toward achievement. Women's decision processes indicate a highly
personal, subjective process. Studies reveal that there are multiple general
individual characteristics of women business owners that promote their
creativity and generate new ideas and ways of doing things.
Challenges Faced by
Women
In Pakistan, as in many other
developing countries, women are handicapped in society. Therefore they face
many challenges, as they do not enjoy the same opportunities as men. The
segregation of the sexes starts early and becomes a way of life. They are not
only deprived of financial resources but also lack access to basic needs such
as education, health, clean drinking water and proper sanitation. Limited
access to the essentials of life undermines their capabilities, limits their
ability to secure gainful employment, and results in income, poverty and social
exclusion. Their ambitions and aspirations are suppressed.
The crude activity rate (% of
labor force in total population) for women in rural areas is 10.7% and 6.3% in
urban areas) and the refined activity rate (% of labor force in population of
persons having 10 years of age and above) is for women in rural areas is 16%
and 8.8% in urban areas. Women businesses in Pakistan are typically
characterized thus:
Most women-headed businesses
operate from home, and financial matters are taken care of by male family
members.
Women entrepreneurs are seen in
subordinate roles; with low levels of education and technical skills; low
exposure to business; lacking role models; lacking peer support and business
associations; low incomes and
poor investment capacity. Gradually things are improving for a woman, which has
been caused by their tremendous determination and courage. They are entering in
the field of education, health, engineering, IT and active participation is
seen in the sports and politics arena. About 60% of women entrepreneurs in
Pakistan have opted for traditional business such as parlors, bakeries,
boutiques, but the largest number is employed in the garments and handicrafts
sector. In general, urban women are better placed in terms of accessing information
than those operating in the rural areas. However, improvements need to be
realized in the rural areas where women still lag behind due to the lack of
awareness to engage
themselves in other activities.
In rural areas even where top positions are filled by women entrepreneurs most
of the opportunities are diverted towards enhancing the skills of men. Women
are essentially performing house-hold chores and helping their family in the
fields. This hampers their growth, as there is no time due to domestic chores
taking precedence over anything else. Many women are learning skills such as
embroidery, sewing, knitting for income generation, but lack conducive
environment to embark on such a journey of developing their career. This is
because of the restrictions placed on them by the society which does not allow
them to receive formal training and to enter the market place. They not only
lack the financial resources but also lack awareness for facilities available
to develop their skills. However, economic necessity is forcing more and more
women to engage in some sort of employment, without relieving them of their
traditional roles. There is a potential envisaged to develop the handicrafts
sector and create income generation measures for these women as they possess
the talents and aptitude for entrepreneurial development.
Problems
Some of the basic problems a
highlighted by various research studies undertaken by women entrepreneurs are:
Lack of information
Lack of Micro Financing Schemes
Lack of Skill Development Lack of Entrepreneurship/Business Skills Lack of
Marketing Facilities Lack of Product Designs Lack of Networking and Trust
Building Expensive Raw Material Low Quality Control Non-Conducive Working
Environment
Nurturing an individual's,
natural spirit of entrepreneurship is a powerful key to economic development.
Therefore realizing the vast potential that women entrepreneurs posses and
translating this potential into profits is imperative. Supporting businesses
with strong associations can strengthen the structural adjustment reforms that
are part of the current international wave of decentralization, which is
grounded in the belief that promoting private businesses is key to growth.
There is great potential in the Women Entrepreneurship sector. Their
development can only lead to greater economic growth.
Pakistan Working Women Make Their Marks
Pakistan has often hit the
headlines for gross gender violations like honour killings and gang rapes. But
that is not the entire picture. NDTV met some women who are breaking the glass
ceiling, pushing boundaries in the corporate sector in Pakistan. Musharraf Hai
has been heading the multinational, Unilever Pakistan for more than four years
now. Bold, forthright, no nonsense, she says she was never aware of a glass
ceiling. More than a third of the marketing departments are women and more
revolutionary is the fact that more than 70 per cent of its factory floor
workers are women. Sultana Siddiqui in contrast is soft spoken and cautious in
her approach, knowing she's operating in a predominantly conservative society.
She has been working in the television industry for 32 years, starting at a
time when very few women were seen in the media.
European Professional Women’s Network
European Professional Women’s
Network is a vibrant growing panEuropean federation of more than 17 women’s
network. Our common objective is to provide women with the tools, networks and
support they need to assume leadership. We aim to share knowledge across
Europe, and are participating in several Europe-wide initiatives. We combine a
sophisticated online networking platform, linking several thousand business
women across Europe, with regular, offline events in many cities across Europe.
10
For women: we provide a
cross-sectoral networking and training platform for professional women with an
international outlook. For companies: we provide a network for their
high-potential managers and a unique source of best practice across Europe. For
Networks: we provide a highly sophisticated online platform that removes a
considerable amount of the back office administrative functions that take up so
much volunteer energy in many associations. Member networks have among other
access to: full member directory, online event calendars and registration,
management of new member applications, online payment for membership and
events.
Our mission
Promote the professional progress
of women through all their career phases, from potential through the pipeline
to power by networking, mentoring and training
Promote sustainable professional
career paths for all by working to disseminate information on innovative best
practicesEncourage companies to recognize the necessity of diverse and
innovative management approaches and the need to maximize the human and
creative potential of all employees by promoting women’s success stories (what
they did new and differently) Raise the
volume of European women’s voices by increasing women’s presence in the media
and public life (conferences, think tanks….)
Impact of working status on their lives:
A survey of working women at a
teaching hospital in Karachi, Pakistan
Waris Qidwai, Shahan Waheed,
Salma Ayub, Syed Iqbal Azam ABSTRACT Objective: To study the impact of working
status on the lives of working women. Methodology: A questionnaire based cross
sectional survey was conducted at the Family Practice Center, Aga Khan
University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from July to December 2006. The
Questionnaire included data on the demographic profile of the patient and
questions in line with study objectives. Ethical requirement including the
administration of written informed consent and the provision of confidentiality
were ensured. SPSS computer software was used for data analysis
Results: Two hundred working women were interviewed. The mean age
was 29.05 years. A majority was married (53.5%) with more than grade XII
education (67%). Sixty three (31.5%) women were working due to need and eighty
three (41.5%) were finding it difficult to carry out home responsibilities
because of it. Extra understanding and support was received from family by 155
(77.5%) and 115 (57.5%) women respectively. One hundred twenty three (61.5%)
women felt they did not have enough time for themselves. The status of working
women is better than nonworking women according to 123 (61.5%) respondents.
Financial benefits outweigh other disadvantages according to 105 (52.5%)
respondents. Marriage prospects of working women and their children are better
than non-working women and their children according to eighty one (40.5%) and
eighty (40%) respondents respectively. Confidence in working women is higher
than non-working women according to 142 (71%) respondents. Eighty one (40.5%)
respondents feel that working women’s financial independence has negative
impact on theirs husband’s self esteem. Conclusions: Working women find it
difficult to carry out their home responsibilities. There is need for further
studies on how to improve the working conditions and home situation for working
women in our society.
