Impact of Gender Discrimination on Gender Development and Poverty Alleviation

This study focused on gender discrimination and its impact on development and poverty alleviation. To know the main reasons and areas of gender discrimination and its impact on development and poverty alleviation, the researcher selected 50 (25 male and 25 female) respondents in Hazar Khuani Peshawar on purposive sampling basis from the targeted respondents. Questionnaire was used for educated respondents and interview schedule foe uneducated respondents as the tool of data collection. The study indicates that disparity exists in targeted area, which on many grounds affects poverty alleviation and development. The study indicates that women have no or low share in income / earnings of the family, that there was no equal status of women, female were not allowed to work out side home, women are more vulnerable to poverty, women share more burden of productive and household work, if household and productive burden share equally it could helps in poverty alleviation, household poverty could be reduced when both male and female members earn. Male members were the decision makers in their houses, there was no equal opportunity in higher education for women, women are facing difficulties in labour market, quality education can help in poverty alleviation. Gender inequality hinders poverty alleviation and female education helps in poverty alleviation. Women fertility right helps in poverty alleviation while discrimination in distribution of resources affect poverty alleviation. The study depicts that if skill enhancement opportunities not provided to women equally it would affect poverty alleviation and gender development. Old traditional roles of men and women are hindering the woman participations in development and women have no property & political right in the area, which is negatively affecting poverty alleviation. Women have not given equal opportunities in different jobs except government job (teachers) in targeted area the reason was sex segregated occupational choices. Women incomes were also low as compared to men and in most of the female respondents were totally dependent on men economically, which is also the reason of their exclusion from development and it affects poverty alleviation. For poverty alleviation and gender development there is need of policy formulation focused on women empowerment in education, employment, decision-making and providing legal, political, economic and social rights to women.