Women in Decision Making

July 18, 2024

“Women in decision making” refers to women’s autonomy in making choices that affect their livelihood, including education, employment, marriage, and reproductive health. In the context of this research, a decision maker is someone who has the authority, confidence, and freedom to make informed choices about the woman in question, without coercion or restriction. As of 2019, females constitute nearly half of Pakistan’s population, but only 22% participate in the workforce, 12% own a bank account, and 4% hold managerial positions. These statistics highlight the significant gender gap in decision-making power in Pakistan.
The table below mentions the factors affecting women’s decision making as of 2005-2019:

Category	Factors of Determination
Women's Education, Employment and Marriage Decisions	Head Alone Parents Alone Head in Consultation with Woman Parents in Consultation with Woman Head and Male Members Age of the Woman Woman Concerned Has No Interest Woman Herself
Barriers to Women Employment	Not Permitted by Husband or Father Too Busy Doing Domestic Work Do not Want to Work Outside Home Student Not Enough Opportunities Other
Birth Control Usage and Family Planning Decisions	Both Husband and Wife Nobody Husband Alone Woman Herself It is in the Hands of God Menopausal/Infertile Mother of the Woman or Husband Other

Source: PSLM 2005-2019

For more information, refer to the following Blog posts:
Women In Decision Making (2005 – 19) – Education
Women In Decision Making (2005 – 19) – Employment
Women In Decision Making (2005 – 19) – Marriage and Family Planning

By Maha Gardezi

Research and Analytics Intern, Gallup Pakistan