Pakistan
Women’s autonomy and uptake of contraception in Pakistan
Recent years have seen increasing attention being drawn to the issue of gender equality in the demographic and reproductive health literature (Federici Mason and Sogner 1993; Jejeebhoy 1995; Dixon-Mueller 1998). While some argue for this focus in the language of reproductive rights (Sen Germain and Chen 1994) it is also frequently asserted that greater gender equality will contribute positively to fertility decline (see for example ESCAP 1987).
Assessment of fertility behaviour change in the sociocultural context of Pakistan: Implications for the population programme
The process of change in fertility behaviour has been explained by social scientists in a variety of contexts. They give diverse interpretations of the reasons underlying these changes. A number of theories and arguments put forward on the subject contend that the level of socio-economic development on one hand and the quality of family planning services on the other are primarily responsible for reducing fertility levels in a society. The available literature however suggests that social values and cultural precepts play an important role in shaping the reproductive attitudes of couples and that this factor ultimately affects fertility outcomes. Hence it is important that in developing programme strategies the local social and cultural context of the setting being studied be taken into account (Coale 1973; Pollak and Watkins 1993; Sultan Cleland and Ali 2002 and Stephenson and Hennink 2004).
Barriers to family planning service use among the urban poor in Pakistan
Although fertility has shown some decline in Pakistan in recent years contraceptive use remains low. Despite high knowledge of modern methods of contraception (94 per cent of married women know of a modern method of contraception) only 17 per cent of married women of reproductive age currently use a modern method of contraception (Pakistan Reproductive Health and Family Planning Survey 2001; Sathar and Casterline 1998). This is in part a product of poor physical access to family planning services. The coverage and quality of family planning services is poor with only 10 per cent of the population living within easy walking distance of government-operated family planning services (Rosen and Conly 1996). Consequently there exists a large unmet need for family planning services in Pakistan (Mahmood and Ringheim 1997). Previous research however into the barriers to family planning service use has highlighted the importance of looking beyond physical access to examine barriers that arise from the socio-economic and cultural environment in which an individual lives (Bertrand and others 1995; Foreit and others 1978). Pakistan presents an interesting context for examining the range of potential barriers to the use of family planning services with a low level of economic development and strict cultural norms that may inhibit service utilization. This paper identifies the barriers to family planning service use among women in urban slum areas. The paper also examines the characteristics of urban poor women who report different types of barriers to using family planning services. Gaining a better understanding of the types of women who are likely to experience particular barriers to family planning services is valuable for developing service promotion strategies and for informing service delivery protocols.
Stagnation in fertility levels in Pakistan
Finally at the turn of the century and after decades of stagnancy there was definite evidence of a decline in fertility in Pakistan. Fertility in Pakistan probably began to decline in the early 1990s or even in the late 1980s. Significantly all estimates for the 1990s for the first time fell below 6.0 births per woman to a little less than five. This is in contrast to numerous surveys that indicated that the TFR remained above six births per woman in the 1980s. Furthermore the last census held finally in 1998 indicated that the average population growth rate for the period 1981-1998 was 2.6 per cent per annum a decline from previous intercensal rates consistent with a decline in fertility in the 1990s. While this trend in fertility decline has continued even touted as one of the “fastest declines in Asia” (Feeney and Alam 2003) the latest Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) indicates a stall in fertility at four children per woman.
Changing demographics, emerging risks of economic-demographic mismatch and vulnerabilities faced by older persons in South Asia: Situation review in India and Pakistan
This paper provides an overview of some important demographic changes in two major South Asian countries India and Pakistan resulting in a situation marked by sustained fertility decline life prolongation and a growth of population in both the young (especially 25 years and over) and old (60 years and over) age groups. The study postulates that these changes may prove significant for both the countries – affecting inter alia the size and clearance mechanism of their labour markets nature of dependencies increasing ratios of young to old etc. The study further postulates that a fair proportion of families in the two countries may find it difficult to endure old-age dependencies owing to increasingly widespread casualization of employment and jobless growth. Enduring old-age dependencies may also be difficult due to limited work opportunities for older persons functional disabilities perpetuating poverty lack of social assistance compression in real public health expenditure etc. The study also postulates that the pro-market changes in these countries may not particularly conform to their age structure changes. It may as well create a situation fraught with a significant economic-demographic mismatch (see appendix 1).
On the industrialization of small towns in Pakistan
Various types of disturbances in Pakistan’s large cities c luring last three years or so have raised many questions about the future. Although administrators are currently taking steps to forestall similar mishaps in the future industrialists and businessmen are worried about the colossal loss of manhours and production. In addition demographers and social planners are questioning the wisdom of allowing large cities to grow to uncontrollable dimensions.
Breast-feeding and return to fertility: Clinical evidence from Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand
Breast-feeding is known to prevent women from becoming pregnant under certain circumstances. In recent years reproductive physiologists have been studying the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis to learn more precisely how lactation postpones the return of “fertility” or fecundity. Family planning researchers are interested in knowing not only how breast-feeding inhibits ovulation but how the return of fertility can be predicted during breast-feeding so that its natural contraceptive benefit can be relied upon with confidence.
Is fertility behaviour changing in Pakistan? Evidence from rural Punjab and the North-West frontier province, 1997 and 2004
Pakistan has lagged behind other nations with regard to several indicators of development including primary school enrolment infant and maternal mortality rates and the availability of basic infrastructure (Easterly 2003). The nation’s fertility transition experience has also differed from that of other countries. Until the early 1990s the total fertility rate in Pakistan remained above six births per woman even as total fertility in less developed countries as a whole had declined from 6.0 to 3.8 between 1960 and 1990 (United Nations 2007). A “stubborn resistance to change” in fertility behaviour (Sathar and Casterline 1998 p. 773) was attributed to a historically ineffective national population programme (Hakim 2001; Robinson Shah and Shah 1981). Low levels of education restricted household and social roles for women conservative views about family planning and underinvestment in rural development were also thought to hinder the impetus to limit family size (Sathar and Casterline 1998; Shah and Cleland 1993).
Determinants of unmet need for family planning in squatter settlements in Karachi, Pakistan
The concept of “unmet need” for family planning refers to a discrepancy between the fertility goals expressed by women and their actual contraceptive practices (Concepcion 1980). The most fundamental discrepancy is non-use of contraception despite an expressed preference for limiting births. High levels of unmet need are a principal rationale for the existence of family planning programmes.
Trade and emigration from a developing country: some evidence from Pakistan
Pakistn recupera su verdor
La provincia pakistaní de Khyber Pakhtunkhwa situada a unos 50 kilómetros de la capital Islamabad se ha cubierto de árboles estos últimos años. El paisaje se ha transformado al mismo tiempo que cambiaba la sociedad. La lucha contra el recalentamiento del clima y el combate contra la pobreza forman parte de la misma estrategia.
Pakistan: Green again
A billion trees have been planted in recent years in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa about fifty kilometres from Islamabad the country’s capital. The landscape has been transformed and so has society. The fight against global warming and the fight against poverty are one and the same.
الباكستان يستعيد حُلته الخضراء
تعّسوت ،ةيريخلأا تاونسلا للاخ ةعطاقم في راجشلأاب ةوسكلما تاحاسلما ينيسمخ دعب لىع ةعقاولا اوخنوتخب بريخ ملاسإ ةيناتسكابلا ةمصاعلا نم اترموليك هعم ّيغتو ماعلا دهشلما ّيغتف .دابأ ةمواقمو خانلما راترحا ةمواقم .عمتجلما.دحاو ءشي امنإ رقفلا
Пакистан: На зеленой волне
Хайбер-Пахтунхва что в 50 км от Исламабада вновь зазеленела: за последние несколько лет здесь было посажено около миллиарда деревьев. Этот проект объединивший в себе борьбу с глобальным потеплением и меры против безработицы преобразил не только природный облик провинции но и все местное сообщество.
The impact of demography, growth and public policy on household saving: A case study of Pakistan
The present study investigates the behaviour of household saving by employing the Johansen-Juselius cointegration technique and error correction model to determine the long run and short run dynamics of the system respectively using “time-series” data for Pakistan over the period 1972-2003. The study found the existence of one cointegrating vector indicating a valid long run economic relationship among the determinants of household saving.
Public spending on human capital formation and economic growth in Pakistan
This present paper captures the growth effects of public physical and human capital investment which highlights the relative efficacy of these types of investments on sectoral and aggregate output employment and private investment and indicates which sector of the economy of Pakistan is benefiting the most from these investments. It uses the production function approach based on the Mankiw Romer and Weil (1992) growth models and applied the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FM-OLS) technique using data from the Pakistan economy during the period 1964-2013. The results show that human capital investment in the public sector has a positive significant effect in all models. The coefficient indicates that a 1 per cent change in human capital investment will increase the output of the manufacturing sector by 0.44 per cent; the output of the services sector by 0.15 per cent; the output of agriculture sector by 0.094 per cent; and the aggregate output by 0.027 per cent. The public physical investment has the highest impact on manufacturing sector output (0.084 per cent) followed by aggregate output (0.034 per cent). The estimated elasticities indicate that at the sectoral level public human capital investment has a greater output effect than the public physical investment while at the aggregate level the public-physicalinvestment effect dominates.
Pathways for adapting the Sustainable Development Goals to the national context: the case of Pakistan.
Because of the ambition comprehensiveness and complexity of the 17 goals and 169 targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the implementation of it is very difficult especially for developing countries such as Pakistan. The present paper introduces an analytical framework based on a subset of the Global SDG Indicators Database to identify an optimal pathway for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Pakistan. The analysis suggests that the optimal pathway would enable the country to progress towards higher income levels and human development. It also suggests that the country’s national development plan Vision 2025 is expected to contribute towards achieving inclusive and sustainable development provided that the implementation of it is prioritized and sequenced in an optimal manner.
The economic relations of China and India with Pakistan: a comparative analysis
The population of persons with disabilities in Pakistan
The author is with Pakistan’s National Institute of Population Studies Islamabad.