IN the bustling city of Peshawar, Shaista, a woman in her mid-thirties, struggles to support her three children as her husband has left her for another woman. She has found herself in the role of sole provider for her children. Amidst the whispers of societal norms and the weight of her responsibilities, she has chosen to defy the odds.

With a smile on her face and a tinge of regret in her voice, Shaista believes that unmarried women are lucky as they don’t have to carry responsibilities left by an irresponsible man. She describes how hard it is for her to provide for her children, from the roof over their head to their education to other expense.

Amidst the challenges of illiteracy and limited education, women are rising against odds to become breadwinners of their families, scripting tales of resilience and determination.

Shaista excitedly shows her new smartphone, which she can hardly operate but just so that she can contact her female customers easily via Whatsapp. She provides home services from waxing to other beauty techniques to women and mostly her shift goes from early morning to late evening. “I haven’t washed the uniforms of my children for many days because I don’t have enough time and it is embarrassing,” she says with teary eyes.

She says that she lives on her own with her three children. “I hardly get them time to cook for them. I just get one day off which completely goes into house chores. It gets extremely hectic and over occupied. If I skip one day then customers complains which can affect my business,” she adds.

The beautician is not alone in her struggle. Across the city, women like her, with limited formal education, are carving out a path of their own. They work as domestic helpers, street sweepers, or in low-grade jobs, earning limited wages but refusing to surrender to hopelessness.

For many of these women, the decision to step into unchartered waters was not an easy one. It meant defying deeply established gender roles and facing the mockery of a society that often undervalues their contributions. Yet, fueled necessity and determination to take care of their loved ones, they press on and their spirit is unbroken and stiff.

Sociologist Ayesha believes that the unravelling of family as a unit and social and economic hardships are compelling more and more women to step outside their homes and hearths and earn bread and butter for their children. In a way, it empowers women to earn their own bread but it also puts extra pressure on them and takes a heavy toll on the very family they venture out to support.

While more women are coming out of the comfort of their homes to work and shoulder responsibilities, according to UN Women Pakistan, the overall labour force participation rate (LFPR) of women in Pakistan is 21 per cent, which stands well below the global 39 per cent.

The study titled ‘Women in the labour force’ though notes a notable increase from previous estimates of women engaged in both formal and informal sectors of the economy, ranging from agriculture to professional services. Despite the promising increase in female labour force participation, the study also highlights persistent challenges that hinder women from fully realising their economic potential. Socio-cultural norms, limited access to education and skills training, as well as inadequate support for working mothers are termed key barriers preventing women from entering and staying in the workforce.

Yet, it is also taking a physical and mental toll on women, who have to toil the whole day to make both ends meet and also tend to children and take care of their kettle and kitchen. At the end of the day, Shaista returns home tired and exhausted. “I am tired and my whole body aches. But I have to work so that I don’t have to beg others and be able to build a better feature for my children,” she says firmly.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2024