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Invisible Labor, Visible Barriers: The Socioeconomic Realities of Women's Work in Pakistan

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  • Sana Khalil
  • Angela Warner

Abstract

We provide a short note on the barriers shaping womens economic opportunities in Pakistan, where female labor force participation remains among the lowest in the world. Recent labor force surveys (2020-21) show a sharp rural-urban divide: rural womens participation is 28 percent compared to 69 percent for rural men, while urban womens participation is 10 percent compared to 66 percent for urban men. Unemployment is higher for women in both rural (7 percent) and urban (16 percent) areas than for men (5 and 6 percent, respectively). Women are concentrated in agriculture (68 percent), with limited roles in services (17 percent) and industry (15 percent). Most are in rural (51 percent) or home-based (30 percent) work, and only 14 percent are in formal business settings. Employment status reflects high vulnerability, with 63 percent of rural women as unpaid contributing family workers compared to 17 percent of urban women. Interviews with women in Karachi highlight childcare responsibilities, harassment and safety risks, transport difficulties, and family opposition as major impediments.

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  • Sana Khalil & Angela Warner, 2025. "Invisible Labor, Visible Barriers: The Socioeconomic Realities of Women's Work in Pakistan," Papers 2508.16664, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2508.16664
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