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Despite being an agrarian economy, food insecurity is pervasive in Pakistan. This study examines the impact of multiple dimensions of household vulnerability and socio-economic resilience on food insecurity. The results of ordinary least squares and Logistic regression based on data from Pakistan Standard and Living Measurement Survey (2018–2019) and Food Insecurity Experience Scale showed that vulnerabilities like age and employment dependency, household size, and gender composition play a significant role in food insecurity. The key policy interventions that can prevent households from experiencing food insecurity would be investments in human capital, empowering women, and reduction in rural–urban disparity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores Pakistan's deeply ingrained heteropatriarchal ideologies through the "Doosra Janum" (Second Incarnation) title track from Churails, using multimodal critical discourse analysis, performativity, and postcolonial feminist theory. Amidst the web series' burgeoning role in blending entertainment with social critique in Pakistan, the study illuminates the power of cinematic techniques in forging new narratives around gender and cultural identities that champion female empowerment. Our analysis underscores the pivotal role of these techniques in challenging and overturning patriarchal and gender norms, significantly enriching discussions on the capacity of visual media to address critical social and gender-related concerns in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide empirical evidence of the role of Social Entrepreneurship (SE) in bridging the Gender Gap. The unprecedented rise in the social and economic issues in developing countries, like Pakistan, has fostered efforts to achieve a new organizational model under SE to counter the said issues. SE is a new way of offering an innovative and creative solution to the problems of societies. In this paper, the authors have examined the role of SE in overcoming the GG in society, which is otherwise left unaddressed. A qualitative study is conducted by adopting the hermeneutic view of reality. The data is collected by conducting a semi-structured interview with social entrepreneurs working in Pakistan. For validating the findings, the secondary source of data is collected from the published reports by the British Council consulting on the role of SE in Pakistan. Findings revealed that SE is contributing to reducing the GG in Pakistan through increased women empowerment and employment. It is helping to create more opportunities for women in the field and overcoming the social issues of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the rate of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Pakistan is 29%, which is likely an underestimate. This study used mixed models to examine the effects of women empowerment, women and husband's education, number of adult women in a household, number of children 5 or under in a household, and place of residence on physical violence and controlling behavior, controlling for women's current age and wealth status. Nationally representative data collected from 3,545 currently married women in the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (2012–2013) was used for the current study. Mixed models were estimated separately for physical violence and controlling behavior. Logistic regression was also used to conduct additional analyses. Results indicated that women and their husband's education, and number of adult women in a household were associated with a decrease in physical violence, whereas women's empowerment, and women and their husband's education were associated with a decrease in controlling behavior. The implications and limitations of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Psychological distress in pregnancy is associated with adverse postnatal outcomes. We aimed to identify how social support and women's empowerment are associated with pregnancy-specific daily experiences among women suffering antenatal anxiety in Pakistan. Methods: Data were collected as part of a randomized controlled trial of a psychosocial intervention for antenatal anxiety in a tertiary hospital in Pakistan. We included 594 women in early pregnancy (≤ 22 weeks) who endorsed mild to severe anxiety symptoms. Generalized linear regression models were used to analyze the associations of perceived social support and women's empowerment in relation to pregnancy-specific daily hassles and uplifts using a culturally adapted and psychometrically validated version of the Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief. Results: High social support was positively associated with frequency and intensity of positive pregnancy-specific experiences (B = 0.39, 95% CI 0.23–0.54 uplifts frequency; and B = 0.17, 95% CI 0.12–0.22 uplifts intensity), and was inversely associated with frequency of negative pregnancy-specific experiences (B = − 0.44, 95% CI − 0.66, − 0.22). Women's household empowerment was associated with greater uplifts frequency and intensity (B = 0.55, 95% CI 0.20–0.90 frequency; and B = 0.28, 95% CI 0.17–0.40 intensity). High social support and household empowerment were inversely related to PES hassle-to-uplift ratio scores. Conclusions for Practice: Greater social support and household empowerment were associated with positive pregnancy-specific experiences in the context of antenatal anxiety in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfinance has generally been linked to women's economic empowerment. Research findings on empowerment thesis are mixed and vary in their conclusions. This study looks at the relationship between various forms of rural financing and gendered social exchanges, with a particular focus on women. Despite the associated risks, women often experience emotional benefits from their involvement in rural financing. Women in Pakistan are closely involved in major life events like childbirth, marriage, and death. To meet the needs in these situations, they obtain funds through microfinance and rotating savings and credit associations. This article endeavors to examine the influence of rural financing on women's empowerment through the lens of feminist frameworks. Descriptive ethnography was employed as a research design and data was gathered through conducting interviews with the 50 borrowers in Nara Mughlan village of District Chakwal. Findings showed that only a few women were able to employ the money by managing small-scale businesses like sewing and stitching, grocery stores, poultry and livestock management. However, they make various psychological and emotional gains by giving up their turn to other women in case of rotating savings and credit associations and proxy lending in microfinance. This perceived risk is not seen as a loss, as it brings happiness and fulfilment through social exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct and indirect exposure to terrorist attacks can have a significant impact on major life decisions, including the choice of whether to have a child. This study aims to investigate how terrorist attacks affect fertility. By pooling data from three years of cross-sectional surveys conducted between 2010 and 2015 by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, our findings reveal a positive correlation between terrorist attacks and fertility among women of childbearing age in Pakistan. Specifically, the probability of giving birth two years following a terrorist attack in one's home district, all else equal, is 64 percent, compared to the probability of a woman not giving birth two years following a terrorist attack, which is 36 percent. Furthermore, our analysis demonstrates that persistent terrorist attacks, that is, domestic and non-suicide incidents, result in higher probabilities of giving birth during a particular year. Conversely, less common and more prominent terrorist attacks - transnational and suicide incidents - result in lower probabilities of giving birth during a particular year. Additionally, we find that women from above-averageincome households, those with higher education levels, older mothers, and those residing in rural areas are more likely to adjust their fertility upwards in response to terrorist attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exists comprehensive literature on women's empowerment; however, studies on the measurement of empowerment in the agricultural context are scarce, particularly in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Pakistan. In this paper, we used the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), which includes five domains, i.e. resources, production, income, leadership, and time, to measure women's empowerment in the agriculture sector. A survey of 600 rural women and 18 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted by using multi-stage sampling. The results show that about 72% of the women are disempowered, and attribute to low socio-economic conditions, i.e. they have limited access to resources and little leadership skills as rural women in AJK are not free to speak in public. The results further reveal that women are also disempowered in some other indicators, such as autonomy in production, income, and leisure time. So, based on the current findings, it is proposed that government should strengthen these areas through effective policies to improve the status of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the intersection of work with access to and use of digital technologies and the resulting impact on women's empowerment. Drawing on detailed in-depth interviews across Pakistan with low-literate, low-income women employed in three categories of work – domestic, factory, and home-based – we map how women's work intersects with their access to digital technologies to affect their economic and social lives. Our paper highlights the barriers that women face and explores whether and how in a patriarchal, religious context with restricted physical mobility and limited access to the internet, women circumnavigate their constraints by leveraging digital technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's empowerment is considered to play a crucial role in food and nutrition security. We aimed to explore the relationship between women's empowerment and food and nutrition security, in rural Pakistan. Methods: To estimate women's empowerment, we developed a Rural Women Composite Empowerment Index incorporating nine domains. For indicators of food and nutritional data we used data of 1879 rural households from Pakistan Rural Household Panel Survey (PRHPS). Food insecurity was measured through a caloric intake approach; nutrition insecurity was measured through recommended nutrient intake (RNI). Using the Rural Women's Composite Empowerment Index (RWCEI), we employed multi-level mixed-effect regression analysis. Results: The domains of traveling safely (21%), time allocated to tasks (20%), and (lack of) domestic violence (19%) were the most significant domains in defining empowerment of rural woman. The prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity were 33% and 50% respectively. Regression analysis found a positive and significant relationship between women's empowerment and food and nutrition security–the proportion of household who were food and nutritionally secure in empowered households was 70% and 98% respectively. Conclusions: Developing programmes and policies to improve the range of domains of women's empowerment requires a focussed policy agenda, bringing together policy makers from a number of different sectors including education, economy, communications, technology and agriculture. Women's empowerment has the potential to make positive changes not only in food and nutrition security, but in all aspects of family health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth and prosperity of states depend upon women's contribution to the economy since women form half of the world's population. Ownership and best utilization of (non)financial resources lead to the emancipation of women through successful economic empowerment. Lack of facilitation in terms of availing the resources leads to redundancy of women empowerment programs. However, microfinance programs by financial institutions act as a key strategy in empowering women hence, addressing the economic growth and development. The relationship of microfinance and women empowerment is not linear, rather many economic, social, psychological and political factors affect it. This study tries to investigate the relationship of microfinance with women empowerment, with the moderation role of household support and entrepreneurship in district of Jhelum, Pakistan. A quantitative approach was used to measure and interpret the results of the study. Primary data was collected from 315 respondents through self-administrated questionnaire, analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) using SMART PLS. The findings of the study support the hypothesized positive relationship of availability of microfinance and women empowerment. The results also provided evidence of the moderation effect of household support and entrepreneurship. The results of the study can aid in policy development by the government, policymakers, NGOs, and microfinance institutions in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays an immense role in reappraise and transform human life around the globe. In this digital era, not only men but women are also contributing potentially to the ICT field to end poverty, improve education, and a create decent job market. Hence, it is necessary to encourage women to pursue their careers in the ICT field for the development of the country. Consequently, it is mandatory to evaluate women's contributions to the ICT field. Thus, in this research, women's empowerment in the ICT field was analyzed based on women's designation, and qualification, a field of interest in all ICT institutes of Pakistan. For this purpose, data of women faculty of 124 ICT institutes of Pakistan was collected from online available resources of ICT institutes using web scraping technique. In total, the dataset was consisting of 1515 entries that were mined from different ICT institutes in Pakistan. The attributes included in this dataset were female names, designation, qualifications, area of Interest, department, university, and province. The paper is presenting the first step for performing the gender-based bibliometric analysis. This study is quite beneficial for evaluating Pakistani women's performance in ICT by analyzing their qualifications, designation, and department. It is concluded that most women faculty work in the Computer Science i.e., sub-field of ICT, and women are more interested in Data Science, Image processing, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning research areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empowering women living in the rural economies of the developing world is important to reduce the vulnerability of agricultural households to food insecurity. Despite the existing literature on food insecurity, only a few studies have investigated household vulnerability to food insecurity - important for devising policies and strategies to eradicate food insecurity. This study aims to evaluate the impact of rural women’s empowerment in reducing household’s vulnerability to food insecurity using a household vulnerability to food insecurity index (HVFII) and a rural women composite empowerment index (RWCEI) which has multiple domains. Data from the Pakistan rural household panel survey data of 1868 farming households was analysed using a multi-level mixed effects ordered logistic approach. Descriptive statistics indicate that 33% and 14% of households face severe to mild vulnerability to food insecurity respectively. Of all the domains, rural women are particularly disempowered in economic autonomy and education. Multi-level modelling demonstrated that women’s empowerment overall has positive and significant impact in mitigating the risks related to household food insecurity. Other factors included age of the head of household, and accessing a safety net program, and community infrastructure. The study suggests that those responsible for mitigating household vulnerability to food insecurity in rural Pakistan should specifically focus on empowering women, particularly helping them to be economically autonomous, and providing more information on health and food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a significant and inaugural project of the "Belt and Road" initiative which is considered as structure and manifesto for panoramic and fundamental collaboration between China and Pakistan. The CPEC project was initiated to develop economic growth and facilitate free trade between both countries. However, it has generated immense employment opportunities, education facilities, and improved quality of life for local citizens, specifically women, as well as international overreach. This study investigates and examines the benefits of CPEC project and its influence on women empowerment. Based on the background of the CPEC, this study has been carried out by applying a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods to fill the gap. Data was aggregated with the help of a survey questionnaire and interviews from the residents of the Thar region of Pakistan, which comes under CPEC route. In total, 306 samples were acquired and analysed using different statistical tools such as SPSS (Statistical package for social sciences) and PLS (Partial least squares) to formulate the study results. The findings revealed that the development of CPEC has remarkably improved the quality of life for women by providing enormous employment opportunities, education facilities, skills enhancement programs, and training facilities. The analyzed results will guide government policymakers and officials to promote operational activities in the region, develop new educational institutions, and create employment opportunities for the local community and women to obtain further development of CPEC projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Quality antenatal care is a window of opportunity for improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. Numerous studies have shown a positive effect of women empowerment on improved coverage of maternal and reproductive health services, including antenatal care (ANC). However, there is scarce evidence on the association between women's empowerment and improved ANC services both in terms of coverage and quality. Addressing this gap, this paper examines the relationship between multi-dimensional measures of women empowerment on utilization of quality ANC (service coverage and consultation) in Pakistan. Methods: We used Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18 (PDHS) data which comprises of 6,602 currently married women aged between 15–49 years who had a live birth in the past five years preceding the survey. Our exposure variables were three-dimensional measures of women empowerment (social independence, decision making, and attitude towards domestic violence), and our outcome variables were quality of antenatal coverage [i.e. a composite binary measure based on skilled ANC (trained professional), timeliness (1st ANC visit during first trimester), sufficiency of ANC visits (4 or more)] and quality of ANC consultation (i.e. receiving at least 7 or more essential antenatal components out of 8). Data were analysed in Stata 16.0 software. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sample characteristics and binary logistic regression was employed to assess the association between empowerment and quality of antenatal care. Results: We found that 41.4% of the women received quality ANC coverage and 30.6% received quality ANC consultations during pregnancy. After controlling for a number of socio-economic and demographic factors, all three measures of women's empowerment independently showed a positive relationship with both outcomes. Women with high autonomy (i.e. strongly opposed the notion of violence) in the domain of attitude to violence are 1.66 (95% CI 1.30–2.10) and 1.45 (95% CI 1.19–1.75) and times more likely to receive antenatal coverage and quality ANC consultations respectively, compared with women who ranked low on attitude to violence. Women who enjoy high social independence had 1.87 (95% CI 1.44–2.43) and 2.78 (95% CI 2.04–3.79) higher odds of quality antenatal coverage and consultations respectively, as compared with their counterparts. Similarly, women who had high autonomy in household decision making 1.98 (95% CI 1.60–2.44) and 1.56 (95% CI 2.17–1.91) were more likely to receive quality antenatal coverage and consultation respectively, as compared to women who possess low autonomy in household decision making. Conclusion: The quality of ANC coverage and consultation with service provider is considerably low in Pakistan. Women's empowerment related to social independence, gendered beliefs about violence, and decision-making have an independent positive association with the utilisation of quality antenatal care. Thus, efforts directed towards empowering women could be an effective strategy to improve utilisation of quality antenatal care in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degraded urban environments disproportionately affect marginalized populations, and especially impoverished women in South Asia's informal settlements, where climate change vulnerabilities and gender inequalities are extreme. A comparative analysis was conducted of three neighboring countries, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, where urban environments, climate risks, and gender relations exhibit significant variances. With original survey data from 12 informal settlements across New Delhi, Dhaka, Islamabad, and Lahore, it was found that women are less empowered than men in all three countries, but their determinants related to environmental degradation and climate change vary. Qualitative data from key informants reveals several explanatory mechanisms of observed differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the gendered component of vulnerability to climate change in Pakistan, a highly vulnerable country. Through interviews conducted in different provinces and regions, the research explores how gender influences climate change sensitivity, impacts on women, and the effectiveness of adaptation measures. The results show significant health disparities between men and women, with women suffering more from heatwaves, cold snaps, and droughts. Livestock sectors face challenges such as water and pasture scarcity, affecting rural women's livelihoods. In agriculture, women encounter economic hardships, limited resources, and social barriers, amplifying climate change's adverse effects on their livelihoods. Food and water scarcity pose critical concerns, leading to malnutrition and health risks for women. In rural areas, energy crises force women to rely on harmful fuel sources, impacting their respiratory health, while urban settings restrict women's access to essential services. The study emphasizes the need for gender-responsive policies and women's participation in climate decision-making processes to build resilient communities. Policy implications include adaptation measures, women's inclusion, investment in rural livelihood support, disaster management, and promoting gender equality in climate governance. Raising awareness and education about climate change's gendered impacts is crucial for fostering resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]