GENDER IMBALANCE IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION OF PAKISTAN IS IT RELIGION?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/eijhss.v9i1.178Keywords:
Female lawyers of Pakistan, Islam and Women, Under-representation of females, Legal professionAbstract
The under-representation of female lawyers in Pakistan’s legal profession has been a much-debated topic in the presslately. This detailed study is the first of its kind in Pakistan focused on investigating if the religion Islam influences theparticipation of female lawyers in the legal profession of Pakistan. This study attempts to contribute to the literature tounderstand this phenomenon through qualitative research methods by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviewsand focus group discussions with male and female lawyers from all over the four provinces of Pakistan. The data wasanalysed with the help of NVIVO. The data analysis provided a comprehensive and unprecedented view of the participantsabout Islam and its significance on the factors resulting in the under-representation and progression of female lawyers inthe legal profession. The participants overwhelmingly rejected the notion of some studies that Islam is a factor in
restricting women’s participation in the labour force of Islamic countries. The studies found that it is not the religion butthe culture wrapped in faith that the male members of the society are using to restrict women from participating in the
economic activities leading to their empowerment.
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