Pakistani women enter workforce breaking traditional gender norms: Video

With rising financial pressure on households, many women are taking jobs to support their families.

Amina Sohail, 28, a motorcycle taxi driver and courier, shared how the economic strain in her household pushed her to start working with the AFP. She said, "The atmosphere at home was stressful. My parents were struggling to manage, and that’s when I decided I must work," she said.

Amina added that her decision transformed her outlook on herself and her immediate environment. "My vision has changed. I’m confident and will work openly like any man, no matter what anyone thinks."

Hina Saleem, a 24-year-old receptionist, also defied societal expectations after her father fell ill. Faced with pressure from her uncles to marry for financial security, Hina received support from her mother when she found a job opportunity. "At first, my mother was confused, as I was the first girl in the family to seek work. But given the economic conditions, she stood by me."

Meanwhile, Farzana Augustine, a 43-year-old cook, reflected on the social stigma surrounding her work, saying, "If someone asks my children what their mother does, they don’t say I work - they say 'mama stays at home.'"

In more conservative families, however, women are still discouraged from entering the workforce.

Pakistan, which became the first Muslim-majority country to elect a woman as prime minister in the 1980s, has over the years seen women rise to positions of power in business and government. However, much of society remains governed by traditional values, where family approval is often required for women to work outside the home. According to the United Nations, only 21% of women in Pakistan participate in the workforce, with many employed in informal sectors, particularly in rural areas.