GENDER EQUALITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF PAKISTAN (1997-2024)

Abstract

This research analyses how gender equality has influenced the economic growth of Pakistan during the period of 1997-2024. The analysis incorporates descriptive statistics, the correlation tests, the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) as the methods to analyses the correlation between the gender and growth based on two annual time-series data on the World Development Indicators and national sources. The findings have shown that GDP and gender equality have been enhanced in the past thirty years whereas gender inequality in participation is still unequal. The results show that there is a close positive association between economic growth and gender equality. Hence, the progress of education, skills, and opportunities of women follow the same trend as the GDP growth. The regression estimates support this relationship by indicating that gender equality positively influences the economic performance of Pakistan with a significant effect, which explains more than half of the change in the GDP. These results imply that empowering women by educating them and providing them with health and economic opportunities is not only a social agenda, but also a development booster in the long run. The paper also concludes that by providing more opportunities to empower women, it is possible to enhance the economy of Pakistan and will allow it to build more inclusively.