Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill recently appeared in Meher Bokhari’s show, in which he defended the Single National Curriculum, the government’s controversial initiative to have one syllabus across Pakistan. To defend his argument, Gill said that the internationally reputable magazine, Forbes listed 20 most dangerous places for women and Pakistan’s name is not on the list. He even went on to mention the names of all the 20 countries. Gill also criticised Pakistan’s media and accused Pakistan’s media of being “dishonest.”
However, the article that Gill shared was about women traveling to countries and not on the safety of women living in the country. The article analyses countries that are unsafe for single women travelers, adding that the list, “ranked 50 countries with the most international tourists.”
Pakistan does not make the list because it is not in the list of the countries with the most international tourists.
According to a report published in Reuters in 2018 Pakistan was listed as sixth in the world’s 10 most dangerous countries for women.
“Sixth most dangerous and fourth worst in terms of economic resources and discrimination as well as the risks women face from cultural, religious and traditional practices, including so-called honor killings. Pakistan ranked fifth on non-sexual violence, including domestic abuse.”
Four years later the situation is even more dire as the latest The Global Gender Gap Report 2021 by World Economic Forum lists Pakistan at 153 out of 156, above Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan in the The Gender Gap Index 2021. It ranks Pakistan has second worst in gender disparity in South Asia after Afghanistan.
The report also lists Pakistan at 152 out of 156 in the list of the countries based on Economic Participation and Opportunity, and at number 153 out of 156 on the basis of Health and Survival.
