When you probe an ordinary Pakistani woman about her aims and aspirations, you seldom find her mentioning political leadership. Women must put far more effort than men to be leaders. The challenges females face is totally related to the gender stereotypes formed by our society. The gendered perspective of political leadership roles in a society dominated by men impedes women’s entrance to politics.

The gender difference in education turns out to be the main barrier stopping women from using their right to an education.

From an early age, women have limitations on their capacity to attend school unlike their male counterparts. The cornerstone of the social and cultural attitude towards women, which is restricted to that of mothers and spouses, is slavery. UN Women Pakistan’s National Review of the Status of Women in Pakistan (2023) estimates that 22.8 million children between the ages of 5 and 16 are not in school; shockingly, 53% of women between the ages of 15 and 64 said they never attended, compared to 33% of men in the same age range. The gender difference in education turns out to be the main barrier stopping women from using their right to an education when compared to men of the same age.

Another problem affecting women in Pakistan is the lack of agency, which keeps them from growing into independent thinkers. A good quality of a leader is intellectual freedom. Girls are taught to be generous and selfless. This helps one to see that their deservedness depends on getting approval from others.

A lot of Pakistani women therefore struggle with the good-girl syndrome. This is evident from most women surrendering their estates to their brothers instead of their inheritance rights. Lack of agency and access to education leads women in Pakistan to be significantly under-represented in public and political spheres of leadership.

Women in positions of authority lack social acceptance; they are only appreciated by society if they do not challenge the ideas or skills of their male colleagues.

Women are often considered in Pakistani society as fulfilling spouses’ and mothers’ loving duties. Women who follow politics are considered as rebels as joining politics questions the conventional wisdom of the woman.

This discouragement largely from the families and communities they belong to dashes their hopes to join politics. Since the social narrative sees women in politics as the exception rather than the norm, it is more difficult for a woman to become regarded as a leader.

Moreover, women in positions of authority lack social acceptance; they are only appreciated by society if they do not challenge the ideas or skills of their male colleagues. She is nevertheless a major target for hate speech, misogyny, and gender-based violence even in circumstances where a woman succeeds in landing top leadership posts.

Our society’s ranking of gender based on position and power produces inequality. Men are seen as having greater strength and consequently, more influence as our society defines strength as power. This ranks men first in practically all sectors of life on the social scale. Women’s weaker social status results in fewer opportunities, separating them from men. The idea that many women in our towns would be caretakers, nurturers, and “beautiful souls” engaged in “dirty politics” discourages many of them from entering politics.

Many times, leadership is associated with masculine traits—which go against the traditional definition of femininity. Women in politics must suppress their feminine impulses and adopt tough and assertive traits if they are to thrive in such fields. This helps women to see that they must lose their feminine characteristics and adopt masculine ones if they are to thrive in politics, therefore alienating them from their own identities and valuable qualities.

Many times, leadership is associated with masculine traits—which go against the traditional definition of femininity.

Several female leaders are coming from Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto was Pakistan’s first elected female prime minister chosen democratically in 1988. Fatima Jinnah challenged Ayub Khan for the presidency in 1965. Currently, Maryam Nawaz is Punjab’s chief minister.

These women were able to ascend to leadership roles because of their ties to well-known male leaders: Maryam Nawaz is the daughter of Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto is the daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and Fatima Jinnah is the sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. However, it is impossible to expect normal women to pursue political professions considering their lack of financial means and influence.

Though only 24% of them are actively involved in the economy, women account for about 49% of Pakistan’s population. According to the 2020–21 Work Force Survey, women account for around 15.5% of the workforce; their engagement in the agricultural sector explains why their proportion is larger in rural than in urban areas. Women also suffer financial inequality as their salaries vary from men’s by around 82%. Women have traditionally been considered as inferior creatures who had to carry out their primary roles as domesticated animals, therefore separating themselves from the idea of equality. Men regard women’s salaries as a danger to their egos, so there is an economic difference.

Political parties reportedly sponsor and propose candidates for prominent leadership roles. Women who want to work in politics in Pakistan might find a major obstacle from political parties. In politics, developing networks is vital. Getting political support and financial backing depends on it, but since males predominate in politics, women are finding it more difficult to join this field. The problem is with the oversupply of guys in the region, not with the lack of suitable women.

The most basic flaw in the current political system is the lack of recognition for women or chances to follow political professions.

Models of gender equality are the Nordic countries. These countries have the highest percentage of female legislators as well as strong marks in terms of the well-being of the people and the happiness index. A few structural changes make this possible and support from society helps.

This implies that, in line with a progressive society, women’s political participation improves their position. Successful roles played by women like Asma Jahangir, Dr Ruth Pfau, and Bilquis Edhi have had long-lasting consequences for Pakistan’s welfare and society. greater women in these jobs drive greater attention to women’s problems and gender-sensitive laws.

In the end, one may question whether the political structure or women constitute the problem. Women clearly are equally as smart as men. The most basic flaw in the current political system is the lack of recognition for women or chances to follow political professions. It is time to quit seeing politics via the “malestream” lens. The government should provide level playing grounds and equal chances for both sexes. Education is the cornerstone of political knowledge and independence that enables women to be qualified for legislative positions.