Public Policy Analysis

Bahria University Islamabad

Worksheet #1: Defining the Social Problem

Name: Rehan Abdul Hameed Balghari Reg # 01-114192-022

Title: Marital Status and its relationship with workforce composition and female participation.

1. In one or two sentences, state the nature of the socio-economic problem that you plan to study.
The composition of the workforce in an economy plays a vital role. In Pakistan, the workforce composition
is very unevenly distributed. Female participation rate (25%) is, especially, disproportionately small in
comparison with the male participation rate (82%). This further varies with the marital status of the
individuals that make up the workforce. The study will focus on how the two things are related. How, and
by what, is the supply and demand of labor, especially female labor, impacted by the marital status of
individuals

2. What is the specific community location (stakeholders) of the socio-economic problem? Your
answer should include both the governmental authority and the particular geographic location.
The entire country will be the subject here. The stakeholders are the individuals in the economy, employers
and the employees. The national government and provincial governments along with institutions concerned
with labor policy are the obvious stakeholders.

3. As a policy analyst, critically and carefully assign key causes for this situation. You may enlist the
reasons according to your preferences (not more than 3).

1. Ideologies: The most important overarching factor is rigid ideologies regarding Gender roles and rigid
discriminatory patriarchal structures. This is the biggest factor at play in decreasing female labor
supply.
2. Marriage and Biology: Married women tend to spend more time out of the labor force than unmarried
women. This has various causes including (but not limited to) rigid gender-role ideologies and child
rearing. The female disposition to give birth also costs employers more, hence decreasing demand.
3. Illiteracy: Female literacy rate hovers at about 48% while male literacy rate is around 70%. This
increases as we go up the stages of formal education. This significantly limits opportunities,
especially for women.
4. List at least three undesirable socio-economic conditions that result from this problem:
1. Wasted Potential: Women make almost 50% of the country’s population. The rigid societal
structures and norms not only waste the potential labor but also limit it by only considering a set
number of fields and ignoring numerous others.
2. Economic Vulnerability: Women leaving the workforce after marriage also leaves the households
more vulnerable to possible setbacks. This can in turn lead to divorces and may also add to
poverty and crime.
3. Mortality: Female mortality is inversely related to female labor force participation. Lack of which
increases female mortality but also increases gender bias in child survival. It also leads to abuse
and other social problems that root from financial dependency.

5. Write a short phrase that summarizes the social problem and its geopolitical location.
(Examples: inefficient public transport system in Rawalpindi Distt, issue of outpatients at Punjab
Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Lahore, food safety and hygiene regulation in Punjab by Punjab
Food Authority (PFA), recent sit-in in Faizabad etc.)
Impact of Marital status and Gender on the Workforce composition and labor Participation