'Pakistan faces extreme multi-dimensional inequalities'

Inequality is a global phenomenon and every country faces it in various forms. Pakistan faces extreme multi-dimensional inequalities including power, income, gender and geography. However, energy crisis, economic growth, security and terrorism related challenges have occupied available public spaces disproportionately and inequality is at the margins of public debate.
This was the crux of seminar 'rising inequality as a major development challenge' organized by SDPI in collaboration with Oxfam here on Thursday. There is an emerging concern that rising income and wealth inequalities have social and economic costs. Its link to violence, political instability, social fragmentation, cannot be ruled out. Rising disparities especially in power and income are frustrating efforts to poverty reduction.
Elite captured political institutions shifting income and wealth from poor to rich through various instruments including indirect taxation and setting public spending priorities which help rich getting richer. Hence this vicious cycle of power generating wealth and wealth bolstering power is key structural development problem in Pakistan and needs immediate attention to create fair and equal society.
When it comes to income inequality, the richest 20% capture nearly 45% of monthly income, whilst the bottom 20% take home just 8%. This income gap is even wider in urban areas where top 20% take 61% of monthly income in comparison to 3.45% by bottom 20% of population.
Speaking on the occasion Ben Phillips, Oxfam's global policy and campaign director, who is visiting Pakistan, said: "Rising inequality is a global challenge. The 85 richest people in the world have the same wealth as the bottom half of the world's population. Across the world the public is calling for action to tackle extreme inequality. Education and health for all are possible. Those with the most to spare should contribute the most in taxes. Let's build societies where everyone matters."
According to Household Integrated Economic Survey 2011-12, 23% of women were employed in comparison to 77% of male and according to Pakistan Social and Living Standard Measurements 2011-2012 only 35% of rural women are literate in comparison to 65% male. This depicts stark realities of gender disparities.
Speaking about the issue Arif Jabbar Khan, Country Director for Oxfam in Pakistan said: "We need to look increasing gap between haves and have-nots, those having power and powerless, people having strong voice and those whose voice is unheard with a different lens and should be courageous enough to recognise that multiple inequalities in our society is holding back the progress to eliminate poverty, sufferings of majority of people and bringing peace in our country."-PR