Women and Children in Rural Pakistan

Life in rural Pakistan is very hard for the women living there with few modern conveniences.

The Roshni Centre (Center) is located in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. This province borders Afghanistan, and, Swat Valley, where the Center is located, is in the Northeastern part of the province. Less than .6% of the women are employed with a regular salary and roughly 1.25% of the men in times of peace. The average income for males is around $100-$175.00 a month, for women between $35-$100.00. There are not enough available jobs, and Pakistan has a very difficult time competing with the world market not to mention the problems in the country itself. Maybe 50% of the men have finished High School, compared to 30% of the women. Education is not a requirement, but, rather, a luxury. Nearly three fourths of the homes are made of mud and rock, the others of cement. A home consists of maybe 2-3 rooms and a very modest kitchen area, yet the average rural family consists of about 10 children plus the extended families. About 3% of the people here own a car, 20% a T.V., 10% a phone, and 2% a computer. Children between the ages of 1-10 make up the largest section of the population followed by those in the 20-30-age range. Life expectancy in Pakistan is around 62 years of age.