Best of CASE Asia-Pacific Region Award
 

Institution: Lahore University of Management Sciences

Title of entry: Fostering and advancing women leaders in business

About this entry: The Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) at LUMS offers a 50% scholarship to all women admitted to its graduate programmes. These scholarships are the first of its kind in Pakistan and also in the world. This initiative is founded on the premise that equitable gender balance engenders both business education excellence as well as lasting positive social impact. Globally, Pakistan does poorly in terms of gender equity. It was ranked 153rd out of 156 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2021 Global Gender Gap Report.

There are many reasons for gender inequality in Pakistan. The list includes job segregation and employment inequality, lack of legal protection, poor medical care, low safety and security in workplaces, weak political representation and most importantly, restricted access to education. Less than half of the women in the country are literate while over 70% of men are. Over 80% of men participate in the labour force, whereas less than a quarter of women do. Almost 90% of women who are employed work in traditional agriculture. Of those women who are civil servants, the vast majority serve in low or middle-ranking posts. Less than 5% of senior managerial positions are held by women. Empowering women to participate in business education of the highest quality stands to have a significant economic and social impact. As Pakistan's only AACSB accredited business school, a primary goal is to make business education affordable to as many women as possible.