KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA (KP) GENDER PARITY PERFORMANCE: HISTORICAL COMPARISON UNDER MICS KP 2010, 2017 AND 2021 DATA

Abstract

Pakistan’s regions/areas^[1], including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), are struggling to ameliorate the gender disparity harming girls in the primary school education. However, low priorities with a lack of commitments exacerbate disparities disadvantaging girls widely in most of the regions, with a bitter sting for KP. Gender bias also persists enormously at the divisional, district, urban, and rural levels in KP. Neither has a systematic effort been made to examine the Gender Parity (GP) performance of KP nor to make a comparison with other regions/areas of Pakistan. This research study bridges the prevailing research gap.  It evaluates the KP’s working towards GP and also compares it with Pakistan’s regions/areas. KP continues to be the least performing unit among regions/areas of Pakistan as per MICS KP 2010, 2017 and 2021, with a stagnant GP score of 0.80. Thus, KP lacked in the GP as well as in the MDGs 3.1 and SDGs 4.5.1 targets at the provincial and urban-rural levels. It is the 2^nd last region in urban areas with a GP score of 0.90, trailing GB (0.87) only. In the rural domain, KP is the 4^th best performer with a GPI of 0.80. It leads Balochistan (0.77) and Sindh (0.71), but lacks AJ&K (1.00), Punjab (0.97), and GB (0.87). The girls having illiterate mothers or belonging to the poorest families are the greatest prey of gender disparities, while the girls having mothers with Secondary and Higher secondary education or living in the fourth wealth quintile/richest families, enjoy GP and also attain the SDGs 4.5.1 target in 2017 and 2021. By achieving the SDG 4.5.1 target in 01 of 3 divisions and 5 of 10 districts, KP gets the highest position in Pakistan. In UNESCO’s (2010) GPI ranges (0.90 - 1.03), KP stands fourth with 14% and 16% success at the divisional and district levels, leading Balochistan and Sindh regions, but lags behind AJ&K, Punjab and GB.  KP's overall passive performance in GP and SDG 4.5.1 may stem from several socioeconomic deterrents and cultural norms. However, better community support, female/mother’s education, better teaching-learning environment, upgraded security, female supportive education policies, healthier transport and improved access to school, along with softening of cultural norms, reducing poverty, and educating the illiterate mothers may improve GP in the KP, ensuring its sustainability in primary school education.

[1] Regions include provinces - Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Balochistan while areas include AJ&K and Gilgit Baltistan