Gender Disparities in Education, Health, and Political Participation: A Case Study of Women in District Swabi

Abstract

Gender inequality in Pakistan is particularly apparent in areas such as political involvement, healthcare and education an extensive case study of women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where structural and cultural constraint nts combine to create notable gender disparities, is presented in this research. The research analyzes demographic shifts and the socio-economic status of women, utilizing data from the 2017 census of Pakistan along with health and education statistics from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The report from election commission of Pakistan (ECP) indicates that women in swabi have limited access to higher education. Their litracy rate is approximately 30% lower compared to that of men. Women's social vulnerability is further reinforced by the continued low health indices, especially maternal mortality and availability to female healthcare professionals. Even with constitutional protections, patriarchal mindsets, obstacles to movement, and limited access to national identity documents frequently hinder political involvement. In order to demonstrate how women's reliance on resources held by men perpetuates gender subordination, the study places these data into feminist theoretical frameworks, particularly Marxist and social exclusion frameworks. The study shows that gender disparity is a deeply ingrained socio-cultural reality rather than just a statistical problem by connecting Swabi's micro-level realities to more general national and regional trends. The debate also compares Swabi's gender statistics to those of other districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to national averages to illustrate how local context impacts women's possibilities. According to the paper's conclusion, progress toward gender equality will continue to lag in the absence of focused interventions, such as funding for girls' education, hiring more women for teaching and healthcare positions, facilitating women's CNIC registration, and launching awareness campaigns with the help of community and religious leaders. It argues that, in addition to being a matter of justice, empowering women in Swabi is decisive to Pakistan's lasting social and economic advancement.

Keywords: District Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan; Women's Empowerment; Political Participation; Health; Education; Gender Disparities