The report was presented to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Human Rights Rajveer Singh Sodho. It highlights gender disparities across education, health, justice, employment and political participation in the province.
According to the report, women’s literacy rate in rural Sindh is only 27.52 percent, with millions of girls aged between 5 and 16 deprived of education.
After reviewing the report, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed provincial departments to introduce targeted reforms aimed at reducing the gender gap.
He said gender equality was an important part of the Sindh government’s development agenda and stressed the need to ensure equal opportunities for women and girls. He also said gender equality was essential for sustainable development.
The report identified education as one of the major areas where gender disparities remain a significant challenge. It called for immediate measures to improve girls’ access to schools, enrolment and continuation of education.
The report also highlighted an improvement in maternal health indicators. Rajveer Singh Sodho said the maternal mortality ratio in Sindh had declined from 314 to 224 deaths per 100,000 live births. The neonatal mortality rate in the province stands at 24 deaths per 1,000 live births.
The briefing further revealed that Sindh’s health budget has increased consistently. The provincial health budget rose from Rs214.5 billion in 2023-24 to Rs267.54 billion in 2024-25 and reached Rs318.22 billion in 2025-26.
Women remain underrepresented in key public institutions. According to the report, women account for only 4.34 percent of the Sindh Police, while their representation among prosecutors is 18.3 percent and among judges is 13.7 percent.
The report said 3,085 cases of gender-based violence were reported in Sindh during 2024, highlighting the need for stronger protection mechanisms and improved access to justice for women.
Women’s participation in the electoral process has also increased. The report said the number of registered female voters in Sindh has crossed 12 million. The number of women who contested elections increased from 23 in 2018 to 53 in 2024.
The chief minister called for greater participation of women in decision-making and public representation.
The report also showed an increase in women’s employment, with the number of employed women rising from 2.48 million to 3.32 million. Female labour force participation increased from 43.8 percent to 46.2 percent.
Despite the improvement, the report noted that women continue to face barriers to decent employment and limited access to digital facilities, which can restrict their economic participation.
The Sindh government has directed provincial departments to formulate policies based on the Gender Parity Report, strengthen gender-disaggregated data systems, improve monitoring mechanisms in public institutions and enhance coordination between departments.
Murad Ali Shah also directed that women’s needs be incorporated into development planning and budgeting, with special measures at the district level in rural and disadvantaged areas.
According to the report, Sindh’s population reached 55.69 million in 2023, with an annual population growth rate of 2.57 percent. The province has 108.76 men for every 100 women.
