The US Senate has approved a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending plan for fiscal 2023, which includes $200 million for advancing projects in Pakistan to improve democracy and advance gender equality.
The package, which was approved on Thursday night, consists of $858 billion for defence, $787 billion for domestic non-defence programmes, and more than $15 billion for additional programmes. The Pakistan Gender Equity Fund is part of a massive 4155-page $1.7 trillion government spending bill tabled in the Senate, an increase from about $1.5 trillion in the previous fiscal year.
The US Congress approved $10 million for advancing gender equality and $15 million for bolstering Pakistani democracy in December 2020.
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Gender Gap Report, Pakistan is the second-worst nation in terms of gender parity, having 107 million women in its population. The nation comes in at position 145 out of 146. India ranked 135 and Afghanistan 146 on the index. With gender gaps reduced in excess of 69%, Bangladesh and Nepal rank best in the area. Nepal was 96 while Bangladesh was 71.
