Diversifying Women’s Work Is Key to Economic Opportunity.

New data on sector-wise employment shows how deeply gendered Pakistan’s labour market remains. Women are not just underrepresented — they are concentrated in a very narrow band of occupations.

Sectors where women are visible

Women make up:
40% in Education
40% in Agriculture
29% in Other Services
27% in Health & Social Work
23% in Manufacturing
These five sectors account for the overwhelming majority of female employment.
🔹 Sectors where women are nearly absent
Female share of employment drops to:
9% in Financial Services
6.7% in Arts & Entertainment
4.9% in Public Administration
4.9% in Professional & Technical roles
4.6% in ICT
3.3% in Admin & Support
1–3% in Retail, Real Estate, Water, Accommodation & Food
Under 1% in Electricity, Construction, Mining, Transport