International macroeconomic data suggest that women’s employment
rate in countries in South Asia is one of the lowest in the world, ranging
from 19 to 26 per cent (MHHDC, 2003; HDR, 2008). Although women’s
participation in economic activities is gradually increasing in all countries
in South Asia, women’s employment in formal organisations remains very
low (MHHDC, 2000; World Development Report, 2007). In Pakistan,
India and Bangladesh, women account for between 19 and 25 per cent of
workers in the formal sector. The majority of workers in the formal sector
are concentrated in unskilled and low- paid work in industrial and service
sectors (HDR, 2008).
In the last two decades, countries in South Asia have introduced several
economic and legal reforms related to equal employment opportunity
(EEO). However, the impact of such reforms on female employment
remains less than satisfactory, generally representing an empty- shell or
toothless tiger construction of EEO (Hoque and Noon, 2004; Ali and
Knox, 2008). The aim of this chapter is to explore key features of EEO for
women in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, reviewing and comparing EEO
for women from three diff erent angles: macroeconomic data on female
employment, EEO laws and institutions, and organisational policies of
EEO in the three countries. The next section presents macroeconomic data
on female employment.