THE health of women in Pakistan is in jeopardy. We are talking about the health of 120.7 million citizens of the country, ie, 50 per cent of the population, according to the 2023 census. It is the largest crisis within the broader crisis of overall healthcare in the country.

Women’s health suffers more than men’s health for two reasons: one, because of, unfortunately, the lower status of women in society; and two, because of their reproductive healthcare needs.

The lower status of women in society is indeed tragic. There are alarming disparities faced by women in every aspect of life at every age. One dubious distinction we have earned globally in 2024 is that out of 146 countries Pakistan has been ranked the second last in terms of gender gap. According to the 18th edition of the Global Gender Gap Report published this year, and produced since 2006 by the World Economic Forum, Pakistan’s gender gap index stands at 0.57.