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Pakistan is the worst place in the world to be a woman — at least according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, which ranked Pakistan as 148 on a list of 148 countries, with 56.7 per cent gender parity.

The annual report benchmarked the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.

In the latest report, Pakistan has been ranked below Sudan, (57pc, 147th), Chad (57.1pc, 146th), Iran (58.3pc,145th), Guinea (59.5pc, 144th), Democratic Republic of the Congo (60.1pc, 143rd), Niger (61.3pc,142nd), Algeria (61.4pc, 141st), and Mali (61.7pc, 140th).

The ranking comes as no surprise in a country where a 17-year-old was gunned down for refusing a man, where television shows continue to romanticise abuse, where women still earn 25pc less per hour than men, and where over 90pc of women faced domestic violence in their lifetime as of 2020.

‘Literal hellhole’

Associate Professor of Sociology at LUMS Nida Kirmani said, “Pakistan is officially the worst place to be a woman in the entire world.”

Another X (formerly Twitter) user said, “This is what happens when you morally police women, give impunity to perpetrators of ‘honour’ killings, prevent Anti-Domestic Violence and Anti-Forced Conversion Bills from becoming laws and enable child marriages.

“These combination of factors destroy women’s ability to have any form of economic security whatsoever.”

Nayab Bukhari, who holds a PhD in women’s studies, called the ranking deeply alarming and shameful.

“Women, almost half of Pakistan’s population, are facing escalating structural barriers and oppression, with Pakistan ranked at the bottom of the list according to this report.”

She added that policymakers and implementers seemed indifferent, but the ranking must be a wake-up call.

“International donors must ensure that women also benefit from the economic support provided to the country, improving their socio-economic and political experiences.”

Former MNA Mehnaz Aziz said, “Our heads hand in shame as Pakistan ranks 148th out of 148 countries in [the] gender gap.” Dubbing it an emergency, she called on all parties to share the red flag and with provincial inclusion, understand and mitigate the crisis.

“When a state is built on controlling women instead of empowering them, this is where it ends,” one X user said.

“Pakistan didn’t just fall behind, it was dragged here by decades of deliberate patriarchy, political cowardice. It’s the outcome of a system that treats women as liabilities, not leaders.”

In a similar vein, another netizen maintained that the ranking was the outcome of decades of neglect.

“From resisting the 1929 Child Marriage Restraint Act to blocking every attempt at reform, religious and right-wing forces have consistently stood against protecting women.”

One person said Pakistan was “a literal hellhole for the female gender.”

‘Let’s blame the Aurat March’

After Pakistan’s rock bottom rank was revealed, many criticised the hate received by the Aurat March, one of the few feminist collectives mobilising people and working towards reduced gender parity.

“Congratulations to all of,” one X user wrote sardonically. “We’ve finally achieved our goal. Now let’s blame Aurat March for this and pass even more regressive laws.”

Another user said that Pakistan was “officially the worst place in the world to be a woman. But hey let’s bash Aurat March and pretend everything is right.”

“Imagine being the 148th out of 148 countries in [the] Global Gender Gap and still somehow finding problems when women speak up against gender inequality and disparities.” Unfortunately, dear X user, we don’t have to imagine.

Now, more than ever, is the time to focus on women’s rights and empowerment in Pakistan because the damage is already done and we are long past the tipping point. Pakistan’s bottom ranking reflects the deeply ingrained systematic and societal inequalities that infringe on a woman’s basic rights. Not only do we continue to deny women equal rights, opportunities, and safety, we can’t stand when they demand what they rightfully deserve.

Pakistan remains far from meaningful change when it comes to gender equality. The onus lies on not just policymakers but us as a society to address these disparities. Without immediate and sustained commitment, gender equality in Pakistan will remain out of reach.