Pakistan women ride economic crisis to carve out a place among workforce
The Hindu
Women in Pakistan's urban areas are entering the workforce to combat financial pressures, challenging traditional gender roles.
The sight of Amina Sohail veering through heavy traffic in a motorcycle to pick up her next passenger drew stares in Pakistan’s megacity of Karachi.
The 28-year-old is the first woman in her family to enter the workforce, a pattern emerging in urban households coming under increasing financial pressure in Pakistan.
“I do not focus on people, I do not speak to anyone or respond to the hooting, I do my work,” said Ms. Sohail, who joined a local ride-hailing service at the start of the year, transporting women through the dusty back streets of the city.
“Before, we would be hungry, now we get to eat at least two or three meals a day,” she added.
The South Asian nation is locked in a cycle of political and economic crises, dependent on International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailouts and loans from friendly countries to service its debt.
Prolonged inflation has forced up the price of basic groceries such as tomatoes by 100%. Electricity and gas bills have risen by 300% compared to July last year, according to official data.
Ms. Sohail used to help her mother with cooking, cleaning and looking after her younger siblings, until her father, the family’s sole earner, fell sick.