LAHORE: A new analysis by Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics has unveiled significant variations in female employment across districts in Punjab, challenging provincial averages that often obscure local economic realities. While the average rate of female paid work in the province stands at 19.8%, district-level data reveals a wide disparity, with figures ranging from 58.0% in Bahawalnagar to a mere 1.2% in Bhakkar.

According to Gilani Research Foundation, the highest concentrations of female employment are found in South Punjab, with Bahawalnagar (58.0%), Lodhran (54.2%), and Dera Ghazi Khan (39.6%) leading the statistics. In contrast, districts such as Lahore (14.2%), Faisalabad (9.4%), Gujrat (5.9%), Sialkot (4.5%), and Bhakkar (1.2%) report significantly lower levels of female workers.

The data suggests that high rates of female employment in certain districts may not necessarily indicate improved economic opportunities. Instead, it points to economic necessity as a driving factor, particularly in less developed and poorer districts of Punjab. Conversely, wealthier and more urbanized areas report lower female labor force participation, which may reflect lesser financial pressure on households rather than enhanced economic empowerment for women.

These findings underscore the importance of district-level analysis in understanding women’s economic participation in Punjab. The province-wide average of 19.8% fails to capture the substantial local variations, highlighting the need for a nuanced approach to assessing economic participation. The analysis, based on Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics’ District Dashboard, utilized household survey data to measure the percentage of households reporting female members working for pay.