Analysis of Gender-Inclusive Rural Transformation and Policies in Pakistan

Despite rapid technological advancements and rural transformation in many Asian agricultural economies, persistent sociocultural norms, patriarchal barriers, and limited access to funding pose significant challenges to rural womenʼs participation in agricultural development. However, studies addressing gender disparities in this context are absent in Pakistan, highlighting a critical research gap. The present address this gap by conducting an analysis based on 78 districts over the period 2004 to 2019 to investigate whether gender inclusion has any role in the rural transformation process at the regional level or not. Using fixed effects panel model, findings highlight the role of educated women in advancing rural transformation. These impacts vary in magnitude across regions and stages. Education is significantly related to share of high-value crops in agriculture, especially in districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the impact is more pronounced compared to Baluchistan. However, education does not significantly increase female off-farm employment in Punjab compared to Baluchistan, likely due to regional heterogeneity. In Sindh, increased female education correlates with a shift from farm to off-farm employment. Additionally, female employment rate, female labour force participation rate, and per capita income positively influence rural transformation, especially at advanced stages.