AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR DISTINCTLY MOVES FOR GENDER PARITY AT PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL: A HISTORICAL COMPARISON FROM MICS DATA

Abstract

The state of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K is an area hosting 4.02 million people in 13,297 square kilometers area. It [AJ&K] makes substantial progress in education indices including Gender Parity (GP) at the primary school level with a precise Gender Parity Index (GPI) of almost 1.00 in primary school education at the state, division, district, urban, and rural levels. However, the research work in this area is scanty as little or no research work is undertaken to investigate AJ&K’s work in GP in the historical context. This research effort, therefore, is a preamble for bridging the existing research gap in the literature. It is an opening initiative to explore AJ&K's progress in GP at the primary school level over time with segregation at the division, district, and urban-rural levels in the last two decades. In particular, it is inclined to analyze AJ&K's work in attaining MDGs and SDGs earmarked targets in Pakistan. It is also intended to examine the mother's education and the family's economic standing in articulating GP in the state. Furthermore, it also enlists some contributing factors enabling AJ&K to take the lead in getting GP at the primary school level in Pakistan and its regions. For this purpose, this pioneering study benefits from Secondary Data obtained from MICS AJ&K 2008 and 2020-21 along with some other credible sources. Different graphical tools are operated to show the prevailing gender parity/disparity at different levels. The analysis has been carried out using SPSS-26 and MS Excel. It reveals that GP remained neglected in AJ&K until the last century. However, by witnessing steady progress in the new millennium, it [GPI] reached the desired level with a GPI of 0.97 in 2008 and precisely with a GPI of 1.00 in 2020. AJ&K also witnesses GP at state, 3 divisions, and urban-rural areas along with 8 out of 10 districts in 2020 against 4 out of 8 districts in 2008. However, girls living in poor households or with illiterate mothers are still victims of gender bias. Moreover, the gender gap still exists at the middle and secondary levels in AJ&K harming either boys or girls. The analysis of the historical data also reveals that AJ&K government commitment and community support not only helped the timely attainment of the desired GP score but also to take the lead in Pakistan and its regions. The analysis of MICS data further validates progress in attaining GP Index in AJ&K from 0.98 in 2008 to precisely 1.00 in 2021 (MICS AJ&K 2008 and 2020-21). AJ&K outperforms Pakistan and provinces/areas in getting MDGs and SDGs targets much before time. The state also enjoys gender parity in quality education - reading and numerical skills with negligible difference. The study enlists govt. pledge and community involvement along with improved access, student-teacher ratio, and girls’ share in schools as the potential factors behind AJ&K attainment even with financial hardship, weak education system, and poor institutional capacity. This study stresses taking proactive efforts and improving the teaching-learning environment to sustain gender parity at the primary level and improve it at the middle and secondary levels of education in AJ&K. Retaining government commitment and community support along with a special focus on girls having illiterate mothers or residing in the poorest households would also pay a dividend in improving GP at middle and secondary level and maintaining it at primary level in AJ&K. It also needs special endeavors to bridge the Gender gap existing in quality education as more than 30% students’ fail in all 3 quality tests.