The Analysis of Factors Influencing Female Labor Force Participation in Pakistan (2000-2020)

Abstract

This study aims to explore the mechanisms by which cultural, educational, and political factors affect female labor force participation in Pakistan from a historical perspective between 2000 and 2020. In the process of globalization, the limitations of traditional religious culture on women's professional autonomy, regional differences in education policy empowerment, and the effectiveness of gender equality legislation constitute key variables that constrain women's employment. The study adopts historical analysis and qualitative research methods, and finds that firstly, patriarchal culture continues to influence female labor force choices through occupational gender segregation and family decision-making mechanisms; Secondly, education investment enables urban middle-class women to obtain modern employment opportunities, but the lack of basic education in rural areas leads to a gap in human capital accumulation; Thirdly, although gender equality laws are promoted at the political level, there is a significant regional imbalance between policy implementation and legal protection. Suggest building a three-dimensional intervention system: promoting a family economic accounting model at the cultural level and quantifying the income increasing effect of female labor force participation; Establish a vocational skills certification system using blockchain technology in the education sector, and implement a linkage mechanism between provincial education funding and female employment rate; At the regional development level, a cross-border e-commerce talent cultivation center will be established based on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and a women's employment compensation fund will be set up to balance infrastructure differences. The study also provides an interdisciplinary analytical framework for gender equality policy formulation in South Asian countries.