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The Effects of Globalization on Pakistani Women: Empowerment and Challenges
Maryam Rehman
George Mason University
Professor Paul Smith
GLOA 615
12/10/2024
The Effects of Globalization on Pakistani Women: Empowerment and Challenges
Introduction
The term globalization is arguably one of the influential phenomena influencing the process of change in contemporary societies and is anchored on its ability to connect societies in economic, cultural, and political means. Globalization therefore holds a whole package full of of opportunities as well as challenges for Pakistani women. When Pakistan modernizes its integration into the world economy and consequently rubs more closely against and interacts with international standards, its impact on women's lives has been transformative in all rubrics, but complex. In one way or another, globalization has enhanced educational enrollment, employment openings for the populace, and the concerns of gender imbalance. These changes have brought economic and educational emancipation, and social and political involvement for the many women, which were rare for the previous generations.
On the same note, globalization has also deepened various forms of inequality. The rights of Pakistani women are still violated in terms of gender discrimination, unfair working environment, and limited access to technology especially in rural settings with conservative norms. Globalization's effects are mixed and designed in such a way that the polarization of socioeconomic inequalities is encouraged in such areas. Through this paper, the effects of the process of globalization on Pakistani women will be discussed in terms of education, employment opportunities, social awareness, cultural changes, and health issues. With the help of discussing these topics, the essay provides evidence for the statement that even though globalization has a positive impact on the opportunities of Pakistani women, more profound and liberal measures should be adopted to give all Pakistani women the same chance.
Positive Impacts of Globalization on Pakistani Women
Increased Access to Education
The process of globalization has brought about a great improvement in the educational status of the women of Pakistan particularly those in the urban areas. The intervention of international organizations such as UNICEF and UNESCO and the advancement in technology especially the use of distance learning has played a major role in enhancing female literacy level and school attendance in Pakistan. As highlighted by Hina (2023), education in Pakistan has been affected by globalization in areas such as; the increased enrollment of school-age female children in schools, colleges, and vocational training institutions in the urban areas. According to their findings, this educational improvement not only helps women but also helps the community, as educated women contribute to the decision-making of the family’s economic stability as stated by Hina (2023).
Socially or familiarly restricted women are also able to take up online learning, which has been made possible by the advancement of technology. The need for digital education for women especially in the rural areas where participation by females in co-educational systems is suppressed is well illustrated by Bibi (2022). Such web-course platforms as Coursera, edX, and others open the opportunities for women to get the education they want, and need, and that will let them easily get the job they wish to do. However, Bibi notes that due to the digital divide, these advantages are restricted; to access the internet, women are and often avail it which is usually from affluent urban families. As such, rural women continue to be neglected as they are denied equal opportunities in digital education, and infrastructure must be provided to ensure broader participation (Bibi, 2022).
Economic Empowerment and Employment Opportunities
Another impact of globalization is the employment of women in the stream of Pakistan’s economy. The new export-oriented industries including the textiles and computer software industries together with the improved FDI have provided job opportunities resulting in potential economic gains to the women. Farooq, Rao & Shoaib (2022) found that these sectors have large-scale female worker employment that enables them to be economically active, and contribute to the household income. They observe that despite low wages and blatant exploitation of labor in the textile industry employment opens up a space within the formal sector for Pakistani women; to transform the economy in favor of gender parity in participation.
Moreover, Rosak-Szyrocka et al., (2024) have also highlighted how, through the development of the gig economy, women within urban settings who have access to the Internet can work from home or be self-employed. Digital marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr make women with expertise in technical professions in writing, graphic designing, or software developed to compete in the world economy from the comfort of their homes. This flexibility has been very helpful to women who are restricted from working outside by culture. However, as Rosak-Szyrocka et al., (2024) have pointed out these advantages largely do not extend to women in rural areas who are either unable to access the internet or who are incapable of operating any form of technology. The continuation of such a gap has emphasized the importance of governmental interventions in technology distribution that is fair and referred to as open.
Social Empowerment and Gender Equality Awareness
The shift in media around the globe has created a social change in dealing with women and gender equity in Pakistan. Today's generation of women in Pakistan has worked as a social media and getting awareness through international news which has played an important role in inspiring women. Starkey & Tomalin (2022) argues that social media companies that allow freedom of expression as part of their business model, include products such as Twitter and Facebook that amplify events like Aurat March, an annual protest for women's rights in Pakistani cities including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Brought by the global women's marches, this march also calls for a change in social perception, employment policies, and personal liberties, meaning Pakistani women increasingly know their entitlements and possible roles in society (Starkey & Tomalin (2022).
However, there are groups within society who fight for the rights of women and advocate for their inclusion in every aspect of society, something that is opposed by the conservative bargain because they believe that such movements undermine traditional family values. Asghar et al. (2017) highlighted that while globalization has eroded gender norms, the results are split almost entirely between the urban and rural populations. For instance, Asghar et al on a similar tone suggest that although globalization's quest for gender equity seems to be laudable, it still needs a certain level of apprehensive prescriptions given the world's cultural affective base (Asghar et al., 2017).
Negative Impacts of Globalization on Pakistani Women
Labor Exploitation and Poor Working Conditions
Analyzing the effects of globalization on Pakistan's economy invariably the identified role has led to the emergence of low-wage labor intensity particularly in areas such as textiles and garments industries major accommodations of women's employment. As these industries have revealed employment for the populace, they are recognized for poor treatment of workers. Danzer & Grundke (2016) argue that female textile worker suffers from low wages, long working hours, and health risks since companies in the textile sector are under pressure from the global supply chain to minimize costs. Employees demand abhorrent wages and provocative working conditions from street-level capitalist employers who strive to increase their competitiveness in the global economy, female labor notwithstanding.
Farooq, Rao & Shoaib (2022) also continue to mention that these women are mostly uninsured or have no bargaining power. They point out that even though it is possible to start certain initiatives, for example, fair trade, its objective to mend the labor conditions is inadequately implemented. This employment exploitation not only harms economic development, leading to poverty and women's subjugation but also requires improved legal protection and fair trade policies.
Cultural Resistance and Reinforcement of Gender Inequality
While globalization has brought in liberal thought the same has also spurred a conservative backlash in some regions in Pakistan. According to Bibi (2022), cultures of entitlement still dominate the rurality eradicating the chances of women in education or employment. Such cultural reasons are usually described as efforts to shield the African culture against what is considered Westernization, although they keep limiting the advancement of female emancipation in such regions (Bibi, 2022).
On the other hand, Starkey & Tomalin (2022) opines that in urban areas where there are increased chances of interaction with global ideas on the issue of gender norms are gradually changing. However, even in these sectors, there is the continuation of the patriarchal culture whereby women are barred from being leaders or engaging in activism. This cultural conflict shows the importance of having a locally grounded gender equality campaign that fits the context of every society and can bring change from within the cultural norms and practices.
Digital Divide and Exclusion from Technological Advances
The technological advancements in connectivity and information sharing have not reduced the digital divide in Pakistan, especially among women particularly those in rural settings. Bibi (2022) While acknowledging the educational and economic potential of digital technology, the author notes that Pakistan has a highly limited pool of female internet users who can contribute to the global digital economy. This exclusion increases the gaps in society and makes it even harder for women without the accessibility to the Internet to grasp online learning opportunities or work-from-home positions.
Rosak-Szyrocka et al (2024) opine that there is a need to connect the digital divide to harness the benefits of globalization fully. They outline that home and abroad efforts to establish new internet access points in rural areas as well as continued campaigns in raising awareness of women through information technology will allow women to participate in the digital economy corresponding operation. Such efforts would go a long way in redressing the current state and ensure that more women can benefit from the technological face of globalization and have the chance of socio-economic transformation.
The digital divide does not only affect individual economic participation but it has this conception implication towards women and societal development. According to Starkey & Tomalin (2022), it is agreed that access to technology brings about social inclusion of women and engagement of women in social and political activities. Due to poor internet facilities and less use of social networks, these women in Pakistan's villages remain unheard and unheard and because of this nature change in policies and actions in favor of women's rights in the country cannot be initiated. The absence of such women in the Bangladeshi digital world denies them a chance to link with global social networks, health &education information, and social justice causes to fight for their rights. Tackling the digital divide, therefore, is not simply a technological question but an avenue for social change that empowers women in these deprived areas to make a difference by voicing themselves and playing an active role in their societies.
The exclusion of these women from digital spaces restricts their ability to connect with global networks, access information on health and education, and engage in social activism that could advocate for their rights. Addressing the digital divide, therefore, is not merely a technological issue but a pathway toward broader social transformation, helping women in marginalized regions to advocate for change and contribute meaningfully to their communities (Starkey & Tomalin, 2022).
Case Studies: Urban vs. Rural Experiences of Globalization
To support this perspective more emphatically and to show how globalization influences Pakistani women in various ways, it is useful to look at two particular examples – urban and rural women.
Urban Centers (e.g., Karachi, Lahore): Women in urban areas are in a better position to benefit from globalization because they have better access to education, employment, and technology than women in rural areas. Starkey & Tomalin (2022) observed that women are more active in professional activities in cities like Karachi and Lahore due to more liberal and better physical structures. While they remain relatively beneficial to consumers, they are not immune topline such problems as workplace harassment and wage Inequity, which are societal, non-withstanding current trends in globalization.
Rural Areas (e.g., Sindh, Balochistan): Globally, women endure the negative influence of globalization in two ways; women in the rural districts are influenced since tradition prevails and structures are confined, thus experiencing a distinct influence of globalization. Jalil (2022) has highlighted that rural women remain disadvantaged, and cannot fully capitalize on the effects of globalization since they lack structures such as good roads, unproportionate social-cultural values that restrain women, and poor or limited access to technology. Cultural endowments and family values make women in Sindh and Baluchistan drop out of school and employment even if global practices are implemented. According to Bibi (2022), the increase in globalization exacerbates the social inequality in Pakistan leaving the rural women who are less privileged than the urban women with resources. This urban and rural globalization perspective shows that women in rural areas have only benefited less because the policies require special measures to undertake policies that will suit their needs.
Peri-Urban Areas (e.g., outskirts of Islamabad and Lahore): The women in the peri-urban setting are faced with a combination of traditional rurality and escalating urbanity. With the urban growth, the resulting growing investments in infrastructures mean enhanced provision of education and employment. But this transition also means some social unrest because the new economic requirements change the status of women and their role in society. Mughal (2019) in a cross-sectional study using quantitative and qualitative data found that in these regions women take up informal employment in areas like domestic workers or traders which is informal and lacks the required regulation as well as employment-friendly policies. Although these openings offer some form of economic returns, they equally subject women to exploitation and no social protection. Furthermore, increased cases of urbanization bring issues of portrays of power struggles in the homes where young and trendy women are tired of the traditional norms of the culture where they are married off by their parents but are yearning for a chance to live and lead an independent life like their counterparts in the urban societies. Such dynamics define the controversies of globalization that involve economic freedom together with cultural discrimination, therefore calling for the promotion of women's rights through policies that acknowledge cultural values.
These cases show that the only way to understand how globalization is experienced differently in different areas is by responding to the structural dimensions of the phenomenon. A woman in the urban area may experience organizational inferiority, prejudice, and lack of opportunities as she does the rural woman experiences barriers that are chained to cultural and practical barriers. Satisfying these different needs calls for a more differentiated approach, one that should factor the particularities of the sociopolitical and economic characteristics of each area so that globalization changes for the better.
Policy Recommendations and Future Outlook
To realize the positive aspects of globalization for all Pakistani women, it is necessary to have planned policies. First, a significant improvement in the labor rights of women in the export processing industries is essential. Measures that prevent discrimination in remunerations, promote health standards within workplaces, and well legal representation for women in the workplace might reduce exploitation in businesses such as the textile industry. International organizations like the ILO can help the Government in implementing the labor standards necessary for the protection of women from workplace exploitation.
Second, the threat of the digital divide requires applying efforts to allow those who cannot use new opportunities given by globalization. A way to increase women's participation in distance learning and remote work is to continue developing Internet infrastructure in rural areas and providing affordable digital devices and extensive digital literacy programs. According to Rosak-Szyrocka et al (2024) such measures can help with women's awareness and facilitate communication with global opportunities regardless of location limitations.
People’s attitude to change and perhaps the major concern would be preventing resistance to change in terms of gender norms can be done through launching cultural awareness campaigns. When brought in terms of cultural compatibility and advances in a given culture, such campaigns can help create a positive attitude towards gender equality among the targeted societies. Education through local leaders, teachers, and activists to fight for women's rights can also narrow the cultural differences and make globalization friendly to society.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the authors have revealed that globalization has contributed to the progressive change in the lives of Pakistani women as well as problems. It has increased educational facilities, and employment opportunities and raises social awareness and many Pakistani women have been able to venture into areas that they could not in the past. However, it is important to know that these benefits come at the cost of some very distinct problems that include labor exploitation, cultural issues along increased social inequality arising from the emergence of a virtual divide that restricts technologies made available by globalization. As two case studies of Pakistani women will illustrate, globalization does not affect all women in the same way; women in urban Pakistan have greater access to the globalized world than the women in rural areas who are held back by barriers that come with the new world system.
These challenges are best solved through a combination of policy change initiatives, infrastructural improvements, and cultural understandings. Through strong and effective legislation regarding labor rights, development, and improvement in Information Technology infrastructure, and raising awareness, Pakistan should ensure that gender equity and women's rights in whatever way that globalization brings about are well addressed regardless of the class status or province that the woman comes from. In this way, globalization can become a positive process that helps Pakistan develop connections with the rest of the world as well as with Pakistani women, who could become more empowered, equal, and inclusive in the future.
References
Asghar, N., Hussain, Z., & Rehman, H. U. (2017). Impact of globalization on gender inequality in Pakistan: An empirical analysis. Journal of Business and Economic Policy, 4(1), 57-66. Retrieved from https://sasj.pu.edu.pk/9/article/download/1121/1113
Bibi, T. (2022). Impact of globalization on female labor force participation in Pakistan. Journal of Development Studies, 38(3), 215-230. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Haider-Iqbal-3/publication/367090786_Impact_of_Globalization_on_Female_Labor_Force_Participation_in_Pakistan/links/63c1096e4c7e7c4e51252886/Impact-of-Globalization-on-Female-Labor-Force-Participation-in-Pakistan.pdf
Danzer, A. M., & Grundke, R. (2016). Coerced Labor in the Cotton Sector: How Global Commodity Prices (Don't) Transmit to the Poor. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm?abstractid=2805402
Farooq, M., Rao, Z. U. R., & Shoaib, M. (2022). Surge in economic growth of Pakistan: A case study of China Pakistan economic corridor. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 900926. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.900926/pdf
Hina, M. (2023). The impact of gender equality on economic growth of Pakistan. Global Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research, 3(1), 37-53. Retrieved from https://farahs.org/gjhssr/index.php/gjhssr/article/download/23/22
Rosak-Szyrocka, J., Żywiołek, J., & Shahbaz, M. (Eds.). (2024). Quality management, value creation, and the digital economy. London, UK: Routledge. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joanna-Rosak-Szyrocka/publication/369369586_Quality_Management_Value_Creation_and_the_Digital_Economy/links/64821271d702370600dc324e/Quality-Management-Value-Creation-and-the-Digital-Economy.pdf
Starkey, C., & Tomalin, E. (Eds.). (2022). The Routledge handbook of religion, gender and society. London: Routledge. Retrieved from https://api.taylorfrancis.com/content/books/mono/download?identifierName=doi&identifierValue=10.4324/9780429466953&type=googlepdf
