The idea of women stepping out of home was frowned upon by society until a few decades ago, let alone joining the armed forces or civil services.
This particular mindset has changed with time and the number of women joining the armed forces and civil services has increased by 20% in the past decade.
According to Tribune, there are a total of 571,619 employees of the federal government, of which 27,999 are women. Women now account for 5% of the total federal government workforce. A decade ago, this stood below 4%.
Moreover, the number of women joining the Army, Air Force, Navy, Police Airport Security Force, and Rangers has also witnessed a significant increase in the past decade.
Speaking in this regard, Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, former Secretary Ministry for Climate Change, said that he joined the civil services in 1983 and at that time, the society did not accept a woman as an Assistant Commissioner (AC) or a Deputy Commissioner (DC).
The first woman DC was posted in Thatta, Sindh, in 1998 after which the society slowly started accepting women on top posts like AC or DC, added the former secretary.
