Download File
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
i Adolescent Girls’ Voices on Enhancing their Own Productivity in Pakistan December 2018 Authors: Iram Kamran Tahira Parveen Maqsood Sadiq Rehan Niazi i The Population Council confronts critical health and development issues—from stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization governed by an international board of trustees. Population Council 3rd Floor, NTC Building (North), Sector F-5/1 Islamabad, Pakistan Tel: +92 51 920 5566 Fax: +92 51 282 1401 Email: [email protected] http://www.popcouncil.org ii Table of Contents Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................................. vii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... viii Methodology .......................................................................................................................................................... viii Findings .................................................................................................................................................................... ix Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Expected Impact of Study ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Background .................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.3 Structure of the Report ............................................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 2 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Objectives of the Study .............................................................................................................................. 13 2.2 Research Questions ................................................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Research Location and Sampling Methodology ........................................................................................ 14 2.4 Profile of the Study Districts ...................................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Methodological Design .............................................................................................................................. 16 2.6 Ethical Standards and Compliance ............................................................................................................ 20 Chapter 3 Adolescent Girls in the Study Districts: Transition Status and Time Use ............................. 21 3.1 Profile of the Study Respondents .............................................................................................................. 21 3.2 Transition Status of Adolescent Girls ......................................................................................................... 24 3.3 Time Use among the NEEM Girls ............................................................................................................... 28 3.4 Access to and Use of Mobile Technology among NEEM Girls ................................................................... 32 3.5 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................ 33 Chapter 4 Why the Girls Are Not in School: Perspectives and Potential for Change ........................... 35 4.1 Availability of Schools at Community Level ............................................................................................... 35 4.2 Attitudes towards Girls’ Education ............................................................................................................ 36 4.3 Attitudes about Girls’ being Out of School ................................................................................................ 37 4.4 Reasons for Girls’ being Out of School ...................................................................................................... 40 4.5 Gender Differences – Reasons for Boys’ Dropping Out of School ............................................................ 58 4.6 Girls’ Aspirations ........................................................................................................................................ 62 4.7 Respondents’ Suggestions for Getting Girls Back to School ...................................................................... 64 4.8 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................ 67 Chapter 5 Work Prospects for Adolescent Girls .................................................................................. 68 5.1 Work Opportunities in the Community ..................................................................................................... 68 5.2 Current Work Spheres for Girls ................................................................................................................. 69 5.3 Girls’ Perspectives on the Effects of Working for Pay ............................................................................... 71 5.4 Why OOS Girls are Not Engaged in Paid Work .......................................................................................... 73 5.5 Boys’ Participation in Economic Activities in the Study Communities ..................................................... 78 5.6 Preferred Work Spheres for Girls .............................................................................................................. 80 iii 5.7 Scope for Expanding Work Choices for Girls ............................................................................................. 81 5.8 Respondents’ Suggestions for Persuading Parents to Permit their Daughters to Work .......................... 84 5.9 Perspectives of Employers on Girls’ Employability .................................................................................... 86 5.10 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................ 88 Chapter 6 Discussion and Recommendations ..................................................................................... 91 6.1 Discussion .................................................................................................................................................. 91 6.2 Lessons Learned ........................................................................................................................................ 94 6.3 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................... 96 Appendixes ...................................................................................................................................... 110 Appendix A: List of Reference Group Members .................................................................................................... 110 Appendix B: Approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) ............................................................................. 111 Appendix C: Socio-demographic Characteristics of the Study Respondents ........................................................ 112 Appendix D: Access to and Use of Mobile Technology among Girl Respondents ................................................. 115 References ....................................................................................................................................... 116 iv List of Tables Table 1.1: Key population and development indicators for adolescent girls in Pakistan ............................. 2 Table 1.2: Net enrollment rates at primary and secondary level, Pakistan 2001–02 and 2014–15 ............. 6 Table 1.3: Net enrollment rates among girls at primary and secondary level, by socioeconomic status, Pakistan 2014–15 ......................................................................................................................... 7 Table 2.1: Profile of overall population and specifically of girls aged 15-19 years in the study districts ... 16 Table 2.2: Number of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted in study districts, by urban/rural location and type of respondent ...........................................................................