Civil services: NA body concerned at inadequate implementation of 10pc quota for women

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming on Tuesday raised serious concerns over the inadequate implementation of the 10 percent quota for women in Pakistan’s civil services.

The committee also emphasised the urgent need for gender-balanced hiring in government institutions and called for the immediate appointment of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) chairperson. It also urged the formation of provincial commissions and gender mainstreaming committees to ensure constitutional rights for women are upheld.

During its meetings held under the chairmanship of Dr Nafisa Shah, the committee noted that out of 1.2 million government employees, only 49,508 are women—most of them serving in lower-grade positions.

Expressing concern over the inverse sex ratio recorded in the census, members questioned the reported 106 males for every 100 females.

The committee also highlighted Pakistan’s low ranking—145 out of 146 countries—on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, stressing the need for synchronised and disaggregated gender data to address disparities in education, health, employment, and political participation.

To strengthen gender representation in parliamentary affairs, the committee formed a sub-committee on gender mainstreaming, comprising Shaista Pervaiz, Munaza Hassan, Senator Rubina Qaim Khani, and Aqeel Malik.

Additionally, the members called for equal budget allocation for development schemes between lawmakers elected on general and reserved seats.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025