In the Media: EFSAS comments on the dire need to ensure women’s rights in Pakistan
Pakistan is not the only country in South Asia where the status of women merits considerable improvement. As a UNICEF report on gender equality notes, “In all South Asian countries, patriarchal values and social norms keep gender inequalities alive. Discriminatory practices begin even before birth and affect every aspect of a child’s future. Girls are systematically disadvantaged across the region as structural inequalities and the low status of women affect their rights… Patriarchal societal norms weaken the participation of women and children in family and community decision-making, especially adolescent girls. This reduces their ability to demand fulfillment of their rights to education, health and protection”.