Background Gender discrimination is any unequal treatment of a person based on their sex. Women and girls are most likely to experience the negative impact of gender discrimination. The aim of this study is to assess the factors that influence gender discrimination in Pakistan, and its impact on women’s life. Methods A mixed method approach was used in the study in which a systematic review was done in phase one to explore the themes on gender discrimination, and qualitative interviews were conducted in phase two to explore the perception of people regarding gender discrimination. The qualitative interviews (in-depth interviews and focus group discussions) were conducted from married men and women, adolescent boys and girls, Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) and Community Midwives (CMWs). The qualitative interviews were analyzed both manually and electronically through QSR NVivo 10. The triangulation of data from the systematic review and qualitative interviews were done to explore the gender discrimination related issues in Pakistan. Results The six major themes have emerged from the systematic review and qualitative interviews. It includes (1) Status of a woman in the society (2) Gender inequality in health (3) Gender inequality in education (4) Gender inequality in employment (5) Gender biased social norms and cultural practices and (6) Micro and macro level recommendations. In addition, a woman is often viewed as a sexual object and dependent being who lacks self identity unless being married. Furthermore, women are restricted to household and child rearing responsibilities and are often neglected and forced to suppress self-expression. Likewise, men are viewed as dominant figures in lives of women who usually makes all family decisions. They are considered as financial providers and source of protection. Moreover, women face gender discrimination in many aspects of life including education and access to health care. Conclusion Gender discrimination is deeply rooted in the Pakistani society. To prevent gender discrimination, the entire society, especially women should be educated and gendered sensitized to improve the status of women in Pakistan.

ObjectivesContributing factors to COVID-19 vaccination intention in low-income and middle-income countries have received little attention. This study examined COVID-19-related anxiety and obsessive thoughts and situational factors associated with Pakistani postpartum women’s intention to get COVID-19 vaccination.DesignCross-sectional study administering a survey by a telephone interview format between 15 July and 10 September 2020.SettingFour centres of Aga Khan Hospital for Women and Children—Garden, Kharadar, Karimabad and Hyderabad—in Sindh Province, Pakistan.ParticipantsWomen who were enrolled in our longitudinal Pakistani cohort study were approached (n=1395), and 990 women (71%) participated in the survey, of which 941 women who were in their postpartum period were included in the final analysis.Primary outcome measure and factorsCOVID-19 vaccine intention, sociodemographic and COVID-19-related factors, Coronavirus anxiety, obsession with COVID-19 and work and social adjustment were assessed. Multiple multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with women’s intentions.ResultsMost women would accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves (66.7%). Only 24.4% of women were undecided about vaccination against COVID-19, and a small number of women rejected the COVID-19 vaccine (8.8%). Women with primary education were less likely to take a COVID-19 vaccine willingly than those with higher education. COVID-19 vaccine uncertainty and refusal were predicted by having no experience of COVID-19 infection, childbirth during the pandemic, having no symptoms of Coronavirus anxiety and obsession with COVID-19. Predictors for women’s intention to vaccinate themselves and their children against COVID-19 were similar.ConclusionUnderstanding the factors shaping women’s intention to vaccinate themselves or their children would enable evidence-based strategies by healthcare providers to enhance the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine and achieve herd immunity against Coronavirus.

BackgroundPrejudice based on one’s gender leads to contempt, mistreatment, and marginalization, which can be characterized as gender discrimination. This occurrence appears in every country of the world and in many societies in which women are often on the receiving end. It affects the provision of women’s rights and negatively impacts their physical and emotional livelihoods. Thus, this study aims to qualitatively evaluate the reasons for gender discrimination in a specific country, Pakistan, and how women are affected. MethodsParticipant recruitment was done with purposive sampling. The collection of the data included community leaders/workers and various families using in-depth interviews and focused group discussions. The subsequent data analysis was manually done and electronically through QSR NVivo 10. All data were then complied with and verified by the research team. ResultsThe focus of the collected data resulted in three emergent themes. Firstly, gender discrimination seems to be geared more towards women based on how they are perceived by the community. Specifically, women are viewed as sexual objects and dependent beings, who are not identifiable as an individual unless they have a male partner. They are also subject to restrictive responsibilities, inherent to the household, while being deprived of rights, being neglected, and forced to suppress self-expression. Secondly, men are viewed as dominant figures in the lives of women, who often make all the familial decisions and do not share issues with their wives. This puts them in the role to be the financial provider and a source of protection, hence, the desire for male children to be born over female children. Thirdly, many institutions are involved in perpetuating gender discrimination including older generations, media, schools, and healthcare. Participants also gave recommendations to tackle the issue at hand including increasing education and healthcare resources. DiscussionThis study highlights the perpetuation of gender norms as a result of perceptions and cultural norms held by Pakistani society. To promote the wellbeing and rights of women more action is needed. Social movements, drawn out from social institutions, have proven useful for women's empowerment and advocation of societal change. Conclusion Due to the largely patriarchal society, Pakistani society continues to encourage gender discrimination through complex gender roles, with high resistance to change. Yet, this can be slowly altered as education can grow for men and women, thus, leading to a public effort with the power to improve the provision of rights for women in Pakistan