Selected Human Development Indications of South Asian Countries This quarter, AGEHI Newsletter mostly focuses on gender issues, emphasizing the need to balance the needs between males and females and providing equal opportunities for females in all spheres of life. There is a growing realization that progressive and effective development cannot be achieved in any country without the active participation of women. But unfortunately, Pakistan still has a long way to go. We lag far behind in providing a conducive personal and professional environment for our women, especially those belonging to low income groups and rural areas of our country. All recent social indicators show that there is a wide gap in the statistics for males and females, whether it is education, health, economic activities or any other sector, women still have a long way to catch up with their male counter-parts. In Pakistan, women are still mainly perceived as home makers and care takers for the family, not to mention as a source for producing children. Unless and until, we realize that women have a vital role to play in the productivity of the society, our progress as a nation will be as slow as it is today. The solution is not to dole out or seek donor money to get rid of our drawbacks, but to move towards a change in our attitudes and behaviours as people committed towards positive developments to improve our own present and leave behind a better future for our coming generations. Selected Human Development Indications of South Asian Countries   Pakistan India Bangladesh Srilanka Nepal Human Development Index (Rank) 127 115 132 81 129 Population with access to essential drugs (%) - 1999 65 35 65 95 20 Public Expenditure on Health (% of GDP) - 98 0.9 0.6 1.7 1.4 1.3 Life Expectancy at birth - 1995-2000 49 62.3 58.1 71.6 57.3 Adult Literacy Rate (%) - 1999 45 56.5 40.8 91.4 40.4 Male Literacy Rate (%) - 1999 58.9 67.8 51.7 94.3 58 Female Literacy Rate (%) - 1999 30 44.5 29.3 88.6 22.8 Public Expenditure on Education (as % of GNP) - 95-97 2.7 3.2 2.2 3.4 3.2 Gender Related Development Index (Rank) 117 105 121 70 120 Total Fertility Rate (Per woman) - 1995-2000 5.5 3.3 3.8 2.1 4.8

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