Poor vs rich women’s work

In fact, in five households, the highest LFP (FLFP) for females is about 22 per cent, up to 25 per cent in rural Pakistan. This is not surprising because the poorest families are clearly in dire need. A closer look at the type of work reveals that it is mainly in the agricultural sector, largely as unpaid family assistance.

 This is predictable in some way: these women have low average education and therefore do not have the many skills required by the labor market outside agriculture. What is worrying is that, although you provide much-needed assistance at your family farm or other business, you do not share profits. This has far-reaching consequences for the value of women's work, their status, and often leaves them as the poorest in their homes. Of course, the FPP 22pc approximation of poor women is likely to be seriously underestimated, because it does not take into account informal sector work. In fact, outside the agricultural sector, the informal sector has a large proportion of working women from low-income households. This is especially true for urban areas of Pakistan, where poor and uneducated women make up the majority of domestic workers, estimated at between 8.5 million and 11 million. While here, women's work is paid at least, but often less than the minimum wage, with few benefits (even sick leave) and often dangerous. Therefore, when it comes to women from low-income families, lack of skills and poor education seem to be the main obstacle to achieving more. In this regard, the Pakistani Skills Development Fund's initiative to promote vocational training has become an important task. However, we must ensure here that skills have a high added value if we are to have a significant impact on income capabilities. On the other hand, it is not enough to introduce skills. Instead, it is important to integrate these women into supply chains and build their own access networks.

With higher educational attainment than low-income households, women in the middle-income strata are certainly more skilled and likely to experience greater demand in different sectors. However, the main reason for lower LFP is mobility restrictions. In general, these families do not face a strong economic need, and in the face of conservative social norms, they can bear the removal of women from the labor force. When economic need increases, limited mobility means that they tend to work from home.

Although women in middle-income households generally earn better incomes than their poorer counterparts, reliance on male relatives to access labor and credit markets because of their mobility restrictions limits their income. In addition, the adoption of men means that income does not come directly into the hands of women. In this sense, digital portfolios can help improve women's access to financial instruments. In addition, improved transport, which includes buses for women only, well-lit city sights, safer walk areas, and information campaigns that highlight women's role in reducing the stigma associated with women, can help. They leave their homes. Not only will this enrich the profits of those already in the labor market, but it can also help to encourage others to participate.