A Case Study of Pakistan Determinants of Female Labour Force in South Asia 4.2. The case of Pakistan: profile and trends Per capita income in Pakistan has seen steady growth. For 2021, it has increased by 13.4% on the previous year(M. Z. Khan, 2021). Yet, this growth in per capita income hides structural and development-related issues. Pakistan’s growth in terms of macro-economic performance is defined as “growth without development”(Easterly, 2001). Easterly explains how the country systemically underperforms in most of the social indicators for its income level. There are widespread inequalities between men and women, between regions and between urban and rural areas. For example, poverty in Pakistan, at 29.5%, is the highest in South Asia with women likely bearing the brunt of it(World Bank, 2018). Although there has been a lot of research conducted on women’s labour supply in Pakistan exploring its determinants(Aboohamidi& Chidmi, 2013; Ejaz, 2007a), barriers to women’s entry into the labour force(Sadaquat& Sheikh, 2010) some scholars have examined the link between FLFP and economic development(Mujahid& Uz Zafar, 2012) etc. however, only a few have engaged with secondary data in detail to study the effect of different educational attainment levels on women’s labour supply while also considering other socio-economic factors. Hence, a thorough enumeration of this and the empirical analysis offers insights, providing the basis for a broader policy agenda for Pakistan and policy implications for other countries. This is especially relevant as Pakistan aims to increase FLFP to 45% by 2025 (Ministry of Planning, 2014, p. 101). In addition, Pakistan’s Vision 2025 aims to achieve inclusive growth characterized by a good quality of life for all its citizens across gender, regions and an average growth rate of 7 to 8% that is inclusive(Planning Commission(Pakistan), 2014). This is in line with Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 5 that calls for greater gender and overall equality, and SDG 8 that looks to promote inclusive growth(United Nations, n.d.). Such commitments are a reflection of the deep-rooted inequalities and polarization that exist in this South Asian country, although Pakistan has made various national and international efforts to narrow the gender gaps. For instance, Pakistan is a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Moreover, in 1998, a National Plan of Action(NPA) was also prepared that included 12 areas and 184 priority actions for women. NPA included activities empowering women and health, women and education, women and poverty, women, and human rights, etc. The government of Pakistan also launched a National Policy of Development 16