Pakistani women play a major contribution in agricultural production, livestock and cottage industries. Women often devote more time to these tasks than men do. They participate in all operations related to crop production such as sowing, transplanting, weeding and harvesting, as well as in post-harvest operations such as threshing, winnowing, drying, grinding, husking and storage (including making mud bins for storage).

Rural Women in Pakistan carry out these tasks in addition to their normal domestic chores of cooking, taking care of children, elderly and disabled, fetching water and fuel, cleaning and maintaining the house as well as some of its construction.

The status of women in Pakistan is not homogenous because of the interconnection of gender with other forms of exclusion in the society. There is considerable diversity in the status of women across classes, regions, and the rural / urban divide due to uneven socioeconomic development and the impact of tribal, feudal, and capitalist social formations on women’s lives.

However, women’s situation vis-à-vis men are one of systemic subordination, determined by the forces of patriarchy across classes, regions, and the rural / urban divide.

Gender is one of the organizing principles of Pakistani society. Patriarchal values embedded in local traditions and culture predetermines the social value of gender. An artificial divide between production and reproduction, created by the ideology of sexual division of labor, has placed women in reproductive roles as mothers and wives in the private arena of home and men in a productive role as breadwinners in the public arena.

This has led to a low level of resource investment in women by the family and the state. Thus, low investment in women’s human capital, compounded by the ideology of purdah (literally “veiled”), negative social biases, and cultural practices; the concept of honor linked with women’s sexuality; restrictions on women’s mobility; and the internalization of patriarchy by women themselves, becomes the basis for gender discrimination and disparities in all spheres of life.

The social and cultural context of Pakistani society is predominantly patriarchal. Men and women are conceptually divided into two separate worlds. Home is defined as a woman’s legitimate ideological and physical space, while a man dominates the world outside the home. The false ideological demarcation between public and private, inside and outside worlds is maintained through the notion of honor and institution of purdah in Pakistan.

Since the notion of male honor and respect is linked with women’s sexual behavior, their sexuality is considered a potential threat to the honor of the family.

Therefore, women’s mobility is strictly restricted and controlled through the system of purdah, sex segregation and violence against them. In the given social context, Pakistani women lack social value and status because of negation of their roles as producers and providers in all social roles.

The preference for sons due to their productive role dictates the allocation of household resources in their favor. Male members of the family are given better education and are equipped with skills to compete for resources in the public arena, while female members are imparted domestic skills to be good mothers and wives.