In a major development, the US has decided to provide Pakistan with $200 million for promoting gender equality and democracy in Pakistan.
\nThe US Senate has passed a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package for fiscal 2023 and it includes $200 million for promoting gender equality in Pakistan.
\nThe package, passed on Thursday evening, includes $858 billion for defence, $787bn for non-defence domestic programmes and over $15bn for other programmes.
\nAn omnibus bill is a single document that pieces together several measures into one and as the last piece of legislature to pass this year, it will fund the US federal government through September 2023.
\nThe authorisation of funds for promoting gender equality programmes, however, prohibits spending any of the $200m on abortions. Yet, this is a whopping increase in the last few years.
\nIn December 2020, the US congress cleared $10m for promoting gender equality and $15m for strengthening democracy in Pakistan. The $200m allotted for 2023 is a 20-fold increase from the 2020 allocation for Pakistan.
\nOn the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 of the World Economic Forum, Pakistan ranked 145 out of 146 on the gender equality index.
\nAfghanistan was 146 and India 135 on the index. Bangladesh and Nepal lead regional performance with over 69 per cent of their gender gaps closed. Bangladesh was 71 and Nepal 96.
\nThe package, passed on Thursday evening, also includes $858 billion for defence, $787bn for non-defence domestic programmes and over $15bn for other programmes.
\nInterestingly, Pakistan\u2019s allocation under the US fund for gender equality is a 20-fold increase from the funds reserved in 2020. In December 2020, the US congress cleared $10m for promoting gender equality and $15m for strengthening democracy in Pakistan. While in 2000, Pakistan received $25 million for the same purpose.
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