The U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council in coordination with the U.S. Embassy Pakistan, Texas A&M, S&P Global, and the U.S.-Pakistan Business Council at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched the Pakistan Future of Women and Work Initiative in July 2021, initiating a nation-wide survey to capture the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working women in the formal economy in Pakistan. Around the world, women have been uniquely impacted by the ongoing pandemic with adverse impacts on women’s entrepreneurship and workforce participation, mental health, levels of gender-based violence, and access to finance among other challenges. The Pakistan Future of Women and Work Initiative will catalyze research, public discourse and private sector commitments to address gaps facing women amidst the ongoing pandemic in Pakistan. Key objectives include:
- Fostering Data and Research: S&P Global in coordination with the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and local partners will design and deploy a survey capturing the impact of the ongoing pandemic on women’s workforce participation in Pakistan.
- Generating public discourse: The U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, S&P Global, Texas A&M University and the U.S.-Pakistan Business Council will engage audiences in Pakistan alongside cooperating partners to discuss acute challenges facing women in the economy in Pakistan resulting from the pandemic.
- Catalyzing private sector commitments to advance women’s economic empowerment: The Future of Women and Work Initiative will work with private sector and civil society organizations to catalyze commitments to address gaps facing women in the economy in Pakistan.