By ANI
Wednesday December 13, 04:16 PM
Washington, Dec 13 (ANI): Pakistan and Nepal are among the countries where women empowerment is in an abysmal state.

According to a recent survey, done by Switzerland-based World Economic Forum, Pakistan is at the bottom of the rung when it comes to equal rights and economic opportunities for women.

Apart from Pakistan, the five countries at the 'rock bottom' in the survey are Nepal, Chad, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The Global Gender Gap Report 2006 measured the gender performance of countries in terms of economic participation, educational attainment, political empowerment and health and survival on a scale of zero to one. A zero score entails highest inequality between men and women in the country's society, while a score of one would indicate equal opportunities for the women members of the society.

Pakistan scored 0.54 while the best performing country, Sweden, scored 0.81. .

In terms of economic participation and opportunity, Pakistan stood at 100 out of the 115 countries surveyed. But in terms of educational attainment it was at the 110th position and in health and survival terms, the country was placed 112.

Only in terms of political empowerment, there was some good news for the country, as it was ranked 37 but in the sub-index of women in ministerial position it was at dismal 99.

Nepal, one position ahead of Pakistan scored 0.548, and in all parameters it ranked below the top 100 countries.

India barely managed to remain in the top 100 countries and was ranked 98, below Bangladesh at 91.

Sri Lanka was ranked at 13 with a score of 0.720. (ANI)

What a shame!

Thanks for posting the article.

even thoguh i am a female myself... i think the reason Nepal is behind is because of the females. We sacrife too much for men, and get very little in return. It may not be in everyones' case but it is in MOST. Us women were tought from birth that men and women are diffenent. When I was lilltle my gardma never let me go out any play with my friend(guys). She said " Keti manchey bhaye pachi gahr ko kam garnu parcha, bahira gayera lakhar lakhar hoina" I will never forget that. It is like we are seprating ourselves from the freedom. SOme of us try to get it but its not enough. We need more women who aren't afraid to stand for their rights.

~ashra~

I can understand that thinking but to imply that women are entirely or mostly responsible for oppressing themselves is to miss the forest for the trees. You could argue that such an attitude and thinking on the part of some women is the result of indoctrination of male-dominated thinking.

I am not a women and I prolly don't have much business talking about womens issues and there are others who can put this point across better than me. The reason I am commenting is because the analogy applies to other people too who are unequally empowered because of things like gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation etc. It is a bit disturbing to approach issues of equality with the idea that the victims somehow deserve it.

Just my thoughts ... nothing more to add. I'll let the other capable folks chip in.

And nothing personal - just a moral concern raised in the spirit of openness :)

Best regards.

That's so sad..but true...What are we doing to bridge the gender gap is my question..besides some so called INGOs and NGOs claiming to work on gender discrimination..various reports come out every year showing the "progress" of their work..It's all in the paper, which is so sad..

It all starts at your home..so good luck..

it aint a surprise to me!!! ..no matter how bitter it is ..we've gotto accept the truth that nepalzz gonna b " rock bottom" ..b it development surveys, poverty surveys ..women empowerment is merely a simple derivation out o' it all....womenzz lib might b at the tip o' tongue of some reasonably educated feminists...but i dont see it encompassin' all the facets..any time soon...IMO we need a horde of bold,decision making WOMEN in the bureaucracy that are tenacious and shrewd and have the "cunning" to do somethin' abt women issues and empowerment....coz therezz no way!! its gonna come served in a platter.....not with all the male chauvinist pigs at the top of the pyramid!!!!!

Ashra, i thought you dont speak Nepali !!!

ashra is right...that's why my mom used to tell me too. They shouldn't believe and accept everything just because it's the way it was. In order to make a change one has to be able to make the change too. Hopefully soon, people start thinking on their own before accepting everything they hear is right

ho ra. yeah.

HAHA!!!!!! DHOTI'S HARU PANI HAMI BHANDA DHERAI TADA NARAHECHA...... SALE DHOTI HARU AAFU LAI THULO HO BHANE SOCHA... GADHA INDIANS.....

WELL LET'S NOT SAY SHAME OF NEPALESE... BUT SAY SHAME ON ALL THOSE POLITICAL LEADERS...... THAT MADE OUR COUNTRY LOOK LIKE THAT..... NOW WE SHOULD WORK AND MAKE OUR COUNTRY AHEAD OF ALL THE NATIONS IN SAF....

-NEWFOUNDGLORY.....

oooooh, what's with that diatribe - a bit of India complex?

So how accurate is this "women empowerment" index???
In the urban areas in Nepal, I fear women are as empowered as men. I am just comparing the behavior of college girls with my Nepali friends and my aunts and cousins.
Perhaps things are slightly different in rural areas?
however, with women being in the army, and now perhaps getting in the Gurkha Army in England, I feel that index is slightly misleading.
Come on, muslims know how to OPPRESS their women. Nepalis (majority Hindus) do not.

One cannot just blame the country alone. The responsibility needs to begin from individuals. Although, we quite often accuse the rural areas of Nepal being partial to women; how many men in the cities actually care to educate their wives or even if they already are educated, care to send them to work? A handful of women must be working to support their aspiration but a majority does it to share the burden of their husbands to earn bread for the family and because they have no choice. Now, it’s not only men to be blamed. Women too have weakened themselves. The image of some higher-secondary level of education and getting married to a guy who can take care of her and having babies is perhaps one common “dream” in the rural and in some women of urban areas too. But what else can she do when the “image” is created in her mind when her brains barely learnt to create. I agree that a majority of women in Urban areas have now stepped into the field of business, science and glamour. But the lingering tragedy is that, Nepal is an agriculture-based country. Living in the capital might make us feel we have somehow reached forward, yet the vast rural area overshadows the gradual development. Yet its occurring at a slow pace and could take many more years to reflect, especially when a majority of “so-called” educated women like us are studying abroad are affecting the “index”. Deciding on the country’s fate rests in our hands. But until and unless, women are not taught to dream “dreams” they can’t go any further.

p.s.- sorry if there are any typos or confusion....m half asleep and confused myself at present. :S