By: Ateer Bhatti
Young voices are not just the future—they are shaping change today, challenging norms, and expanding opportunities for women and girls worldwide.
Gender equality is often discussed as a slogan or policy goal, but its meaning becomes clearer when viewed through everyday experiences—especially within patriarchal societies.
This realization came through a personal moment: watching his mother drive a car in the United States. While driving may appear routine, for a woman from an agricultural city like Sargodha, Pakistan, it symbolized something far more significant. In Pakistan, she had always traveled with a driver, reflecting social norms that often limit women’s independence. Seeing her confidently navigate an American freeway became a powerful expression of autonomy, dignity, and gender equality.
This lived experience connects to a broader question: what happens when young people are given the space to lead change today, rather than being viewed only as future leaders? This question took center stage during a recent International Women’s Day virtual session moderated by Bhatti, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Opening the discussion, Mooness Sattar, an undergraduate computer science student from Sahiwal, emphasized that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but also essential for sustainable development.
She noted that when women and girls have access to education, employment, leadership opportunities, and safety, entire communities benefit. However, she also highlighted that despite progress, inequality remains deeply entrenched—particularly in developing countries where social norms, cultural barriers, and weak implementation of laws continue to limit meaningful change.
Pakistan’s gender gap remains among the widest globally. According to the Global Gender Gap Index (2023) by the World Economic Forum, Pakistan ranks 145th out of 146 countries. Literacy rates illustrate this disparity, with approximately 49% of women literate compared to 71% of men. Women’s participation in the workforce remains around 20%, while early marriage affects roughly 21% of girls. Economic inequalities are equally stark: women own less than 3% of land, and women-led businesses account for only about 1% of registered enterprises.
Although Pakistan has enacted legislation such as the Workplace Harassment Act (2010), the Anti-Women Practices Act (2011), and the Domestic Violence Act (2021), implementation continues to lag.
Challenges include judicial backlogs, limited access to legal aid, and the persistence of informal “biradari” justice systems. These gaps underscore a critical issue: legal frameworks alone are insufficient to bridge the divide between rights on paper and women’s lived realities.
Drawing on her experience with the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, Sattar highlighted the interconnected roles of education, economic participation, and legal protection. She also addressed a common misconception—that gender equality is a foreign concept imposed on traditional societies. Instead, she argued that many religious traditions inherently uphold values of dignity, justice, and knowledge.
Across faiths, similar principles emerge. In Islam, teachings emphasize human dignity, the pursuit of knowledge, and justice. Christianity affirms equality through the belief that all humans are created in the image of God. Sikhism promotes equality and justice through its foundational doctrine of Ik Onkar, while Hinduism emphasizes knowledge, ethical duty (dharma), and respect for human dignity.
Framing gender equality within these shared moral values, Sattar suggested, can shift the conversation from resistance to recognition. However, she raised a critical question: if religions promote justice and dignity, why do barriers persist that prevent girls from attending school, women from owning property, or survivors from reporting abuse?
Responding to this challenge, Joshua Sprinkle emphasized the importance of engaging religious frameworks rather than dismissing them. He noted that in deeply religious societies, effective advocacy must involve understanding theological perspectives and making scriptural arguments that resonate with faith communities. Rather than viewing religion and gender equality as opposing forces, he argued that religious teachings can support and reinforce principles of dignity and justice.
Sprinkle also highlighted the strategic role of youth engagement. Young people, he said, bring credibility and energy to advocacy efforts, influencing not only their peers but also faith leaders and policymakers. He stressed the importance of understanding local attitudes toward gender equality—whether communities support the concept in principle but struggle with implementation, or whether resistance is more deeply rooted. This distinction, he argued, is essential for designing effective interventions.
Building on this perspective, Peter Maribei underscored that young people are already driving change through grassroots initiatives. Even small groups, he noted, can generate meaningful impact and grow organically over time. Youth engagement often involves critically navigating cultural and religious norms, reshaping them through dialogue, empathy, and collaboration within families, schools, and communities.
Maribei also highlighted the importance of interfaith collaboration, citing Senegal’s Channels of Hope program as an example. The initiative demonstrated measurable success, including a reduction in early marriage intentions from 46% to 24% and increased commitment among community leaders to abandon harmful practices. Such examples illustrate that faith communities can serve as powerful partners in advancing gender equality when engagement respects their moral and cultural frameworks.
The discussion concluded with a clear message: the future of gender equality is being shaped in the present. While legal reforms provide essential structural support, sustainable progress depends on youth leadership, interfaith cooperation, and culturally grounded advocacy. Practical initiatives—such as school seminars, awareness campaigns, and community dialogue forums—can translate awareness into action.
As participants emphasized, empowering young people to lead ensures that change is not delayed. Instead, it begins immediately, driven by those who are already challenging norms and building more inclusive societies.
Based in California, the writer is an undergraduate student at Grossmont College and founder of the SDG Interfaith Youth Lab (SiYLab). He contributes to diverse platforms on cross-cultural perspectives, education systems, and environmental challenges, with a focus on youth-led global dialogue.