Women in Pakistan’s Rural Economy: Faith, Rights & Growth

Pakistan’s rural economy, often described as the backbone of its agricultural sector and the foundation of national food security, is weakened by a striking paradox. On one hand, it depends heavily on women’s labor for crop production, livestock management, and post-harvest processing. On the other, it systematically undermines these same women, treating them not as economic actors but as invisible, undervalued contributors. Rural women are often relegated to roles defined by social norms that view them either as cheap units of labor or as symbols of family honor, stripping them of recognition as entrepreneurs, innovators, or decision-makers.

This marginalization is not just a cultural or social issue; it is a structural economic crisis. Women provide nearly 70% of labor in livestock care and contribute significantly to cotton picking, seed processing, and small-scale farming. Yet, they rarely control the income they generate or own the land they cultivate. Without access to credit, property rights, or modern technologies, their potential to enhance productivity and drive rural innovation is deliberately stifled. The absence of women’s empowerment in agriculture directly suppresses rural economic growth, perpetuating cycles of poverty and dependency.

Ironically, this exclusion is frequently justified through distorted interpretations of religion. Islamic teachings historically granted women rights to property, inheritance, trade, and financial autonomy principles that, if implemented today, could transform rural economies. By misusing faith to entrench patriarchy, rural communities deny themselves the economic dynamism that comes with gender-inclusive participation.

Ultimately, unlocking the suppressed potential of rural women is not only a matter of justice but an urgent economic necessity. A rural economy that has half its workforce cannot sustain long-term growth or resilience in the face of climate, market, and social challenges.

The Statistical Reality: The Cost of Excluding Rural Women

The exclusion of rural women from Pakistan’s agricultural economy is not merely a matter of social injustice; it carries profound economic costs that ripple across the entire national landscape. Women constitute nearly 70% of the agricultural labor force, engaging in activities such as sowing, weeding, harvesting, livestock rearing, and post-harvest processing. Yet, they own less than 3% of agricultural land (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2022). This stark disconnect between labor contribution and asset ownership means women lack both incentives and collateral for accessing agricultural credit. Without secure land rights, their ability to invest in productivity-enhancing inputs such as fertilizers, machinery, or irrigation technology is constrained, leaving overall sectoral productivity suppressed.

Beyond land ownership, rural women’s contributions are systematically undercounted. Most of their labor is categorized as “unpaid family work,” rendering them invisible in formal economic statistics. This invisibility distorts policy priorities and resource allocations. A World Bank (2023) study estimates that bridging the gender gap in agriculture could increase yields on women-managed farms by as much as 30%, a transformation that would not only improve household food security but also inject billions into rural economies. Such gains highlight how gender equity is not a peripheral issue but a core determinant of national prosperity.

Equally significant is the exclusion from finance and technology. Social restrictions on women’s mobility, coupled with gendered biases in financial institutions, leave rural women with little access to extension services or formal credit. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (2021), only 15% of formal bank account holders are women, with rural representation even lower. This lack of financial inclusion cripples’ entrepreneurial capacity and limits innovation, trapping communities in cycles of low productivity. The data thus underscores a critical truth: excluding rural women comes at a direct and measurable cost to Pakistan’s agricultural growth, food security, and economic resilience.

The Theological Disconnect: Faith Co-opted for Economic Control

The subjugation of rural women in Pakistan’s agricultural economy is not simply a matter of cultural inertia but often reinforced through selective and distorted interpretations of religious texts. These interpretations are strategically deployed to justify the confinement of women to unpaid, informal labor while systematically denying them access to education, property ownership, and financial independence. Such practices sustain patriarchal structures that rely on a disempowered, low-cost workforce. Yet this directly contradicts the principles of Islam itself. Fourteen centuries ago, Islamic law explicitly recognized women’s right to own, inherit, and manage property independently a revolutionary reform in a context where women were historically treated as property rather than property holders.

The Qur’anic injunction “For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned” (Qur’an 4:32) unequivocally establishes economic equity as a divine principle. The widespread denial of inheritance rights to rural women in Pakistan is therefore not an expression of faith but a blatant violation of religious decree, repurposed for economic control. By excluding women from rightful entitlements, rural households and entire communities are deprived of critical assets that could uplift productivity, financial stability, and intergenerational welfare.

Islamic history further undermines the legitimacy of these distortions. The Prophet Muhammad’s first wife, Khadija, stands as one of the most influential economic actors of her time: a wealthy merchant whose independence, business acumen, and social stature shaped the foundations of early Islam. Beyond Khadija, Muslim history is replete with examples of women who financed public works, supported scholarship, and endowed charitable institutions (waqfs). These legacies affirm that female economic participation is not an external imposition but an intrinsic part of Islamic tradition. Reclaiming this authentic heritage is essential to dismantling exploitative systems and restoring women as rightful economic agents.

The Path Forward: An Economic and Spiritual Imperative

Revitalizing Pakistan’s rural economy demands a transformative approach that recognizes women not as peripheral contributors but as central economic agents. This transformation is not only a matter of developmental necessity but also a spiritual and ethical imperative grounded in Islam’s original vision of justice and equity. The foundation of such change begins with securing land and property rights. Enforcing women’s Qur’anic entitlement to inheritance and ownership is essential for unlocking their capacity to invest in agriculture, access credit, and participate fully in the rural economy. Without secure assets, women remain trapped in cycles of dependency and exclusion.

Equally critical is the promotion of female-centric agribusiness. Women already play a significant role in dairy, poultry, and horticulture, yet their contributions remain undervalued and undercapitalized. By linking them to microfinance, digital banking, and organized markets, these existing strengths can be transformed into profitable enterprises. In parallel, agricultural extension services must be reformed to include and prioritize female farmers. Training and deploying women extension officers will ensure that rural women have equitable access to modern farming knowledge, including climate-resilient crops and integrated pest management.

Islamic finance offers another powerful tool for change. Sharia-compliant microfinance and credit products tailored for rural women entrepreneurs can overcome cultural barriers while framing economic empowerment as a religiously legitimate pursuit. Such framing aligns with the Qur’anic principle that both men and women are entitled to the fruits of their labor, restoring dignity and purpose to women’s economic participation.

Ultimately, integrating women as full economic partners strengthens not only rural households but the national economy. It bridges the gap between developmental logic and spiritual responsibility, affirming that genuine progress arises when justice, faith, and productivity converge.

Conclusion

Pakistan’s rural economy cannot achieve resilience or prosperity while continuing to marginalize the very women who sustain it. Women contribute most of the agricultural labor, yet remain systematically denied land rights, financial access, and recognition as legitimate economic actors. This exclusion is not only a moral injustice but a measurable economic loss, suppressing productivity, weakening food security, and perpetuating intergenerational poverty. Evidence consistently shows that empowering rural women through land ownership, financial inclusion, and access to technology has transformative effects on household income, agricultural yields, and community welfare.

The justification of such exclusion through distorted religious interpretations further compounds the crisis, misrepresenting Islam’s foundational principles of equity and dignity. Islamic history offers abundant examples of women as independent economic actors, from Khadija’s leadership in trade to the legacy of women who funded education and social welfare. Reclaiming this authentic tradition reaffirms that women’s empowerment is not a cultural imposition but a spiritual obligation.

Moving forward, Pakistan must align development strategies with both economic logic and religious ethics by securing inheritance rights, fostering female agribusiness, and integrating women into extension and finance systems. Only then can the rural economy harness its full potential and build a foundation for inclusive, sustainable growth.

References: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics; World Bank; State Bank of Pakistan; FAO; Iqbal et al; Ali & Khan.

Please note that the views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any organization.

The writer is affiliated with the Department of Department of Plant Sciences, Hazara University, Manshera, Pakistan and can be reached at riyazhameedbot@gmail.com

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