The Struggle and Progress of Girls’ Education in Pakistan

Across Pakistan, millions of girls dream of attending school, yet many never make it to the classroom. Despite improvements in enrollment over the past two decades, Pakistan still has one of the world’s highest numbers of out-of-school girls.

In numerous parts of Pakistan, gender expectations place heavy limits on girls’ education. Schooling is often treated as optional for daughters but essential for sons. They are expected to contribute to domestic labor, caring for younger siblings and doing domestic chores.

For many families, sending a daughter to school also means navigating financial uncertainty and risk. Even where public education is technically free, expenses such as books and transportation add up quickly. When resources are scarce, parents often prioritize their sons. Girls are be kept home to care for younger siblings or to help with household chores, reinforcing a cycle of inequality.

Marriage itself becomes a major interruption to education. Many girls are engaged or married in their mid-teens, after which schooling typically ends. Even when laws prohibit child marriage, enforcement is uneven and social pressure remains strong. A married girl is expected to shift her loyalty and labor to her husband’s household, leaving little room for continued study. In this way, education is not simply something girls drop out of; it is something that social expectations actively push them away from.

The classroom can be an unwelcoming space for girls. Infrastructure gaps disproportionately affect female students, especially when schools lack adequate sanitation or privacy. Cultural and religious norms in some regions further restrict girls’ mobility and participation, reinforcing barriers to attendance and completion. Pakistan’s gender gap in literacy remains wide, with female literacy rates significantly lower than those of males, and by the time children reach secondary school, many girls have already dropped out. Even in urban centers where schools are more plentiful, deep-seated beliefs about gender roles can limit girls’ aspirations and reinforce the idea that education beyond basic literacy is unnecessary or even inappropriate.

The struggle for girls’ education in Pakistan is a broader confrontation with deeply embedded social and gender norms that limit Pakistani women of all ages. Ensuring access to education is the first step to building a society where women can obtain power and stand on equal grounds with men. It gives women the tools to participate in public life, to enter professional fields, and to make informed choices about their own futures, therefore shaping not only individual lives but the social structure that determines the social and gender structure.