Women’s economic underdevelopment in Pakistan: The intersection of gender and female labour force participation

BACKGROUND: Women’s low economic participation in Pakistan and even lower in the formal sector is a perpetual phenomenon leading to their underdevelopment, which has microeconomic and macroeconomic implications. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the nature of women’s work and the intersection of their non-market and market activities at micro, meso, and macro levels which influences women’s chances and choices of decent economic participation. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the interdependence of women’s market and non-market work to explore how gender intersects with their economic autonomy. METHODS: Using qualitative approach, in-depth interviews of 30 purposely selected respondents from the informal sector were thematically analysed. RESULTS: Results indicated that the interdependence of women’s non-market and market work is the outcome of the gendered dichotomy that creates work-life conflict to create women’s economic dependence and male hegemony. Moreover, although a common phenomenon, women from underprivileged backgrounds are more likely to bear the brunt of systemic deprivation leading to economic underdevelopment. CONCLUSIONS: Pakistan’s inherently masculinised society and economy mutually benefit from women’s unpaid and informal work. Facilitated through gender norms, the patriarchal social ideology and the capitalist economic system collaborate to exploit women and their work in both domains.