All posts by Zubeida Mustafa

Where does the youth stand? Victim of alienation & insecurity

Archive Edition, Children and Youth, Education, Environment, Mental health

By Zubeida Mustafa

1985 is the International Youth Year. At a time when world attention will be focussed on the youth — those in the age group 15 to 25 years — the state of the young men and women in Pakistan should arouse some interest, if not concern, in the public mind.

After all the young people are numerous enough to warrant some attention. They make up 17 per cent of the population. Moreover, they are more educated than others — the literacy rate in this group being 31 percent compared with 21 per cent for the nation (1972 census).

Then, being at an age when they are full of energy — both physical and mental — boundless enthusiasm, idealism and a sense of adventure they constitute a potent force in society. Continue reading Where does the youth stand? Victim of alienation & insecurity →

West Germany: Extent of ‘education explosion‘in last 30 years

Archive Edition, Children and Youth, Culture and the Arts, Education, International Politics

By Zubeida Mustafa

THE end of the West German economic miracle has affected the prospects of university graduates in the country. Nearly five per cent of them are without jobs and many more have been obliged to take up positions which a person with lower qualifications could have easily filled. Continue reading West Germany: Extent of ‘education explosion‘in last 30 years →

People’s interest in the past: a significant phenomenon

Archive Edition, View from Abroad

By Zubeida Mustafa

HOW much can a country change in thirty months? Not much, especially if it happens to be an industrialised one where the society has already attained a high degree of development. Hence I did not expect to find too many changes when I visited the Federal Republic in March this year compared with October 1981 when I was there last. Continue reading People’s interest in the past: a significant phenomenon →

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AT MEXICO: A higher status for women means a lower birth rate By Zubeida Mustafa,

Archive Edition, Education, Health, Population, Women

By Zubeida Mustafa,

Women figure prominently in the recommendations adopted by the International Conference on Population held at Mexico City, in August 1984. This amounts to a clear-cut recognition of the relationship between the status of women in a country and its population growth rate.

It is now widely known that the higher the female literacy rate, the lower the infant and maternal mortality rate and the better the employment opportunities for women, the greater is the likelihood of such a country having a low population growth rate.

This aspect of the matter was recognised by the Population Plan of Action adopted at Bucharest ten years ago. It has been reconfirmed by the Mexico Conference which has now laid down more precise guidelines.

Obviously, this has been felt to be necessary because in many countries neither has the population growth rate gone down in the last decade nor has the situation for women shown any marked improvement. Continue reading INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AT MEXICO: A higher status for women means a lower birth rate By Zubeida Mustafa, →

2% of labour force: Is the figure for women correct?

Archive Edition, Book Reviews, Labour, Women

By Zubeida Mustafa

According to the latest official figures available, women constitute only two per cent of the organised labour force in Pakistan. But it is now generally conceded that this figure is highly misleading.

Even if household work is not taken into account, women’s contribution in the Gross National Product. It, however, remains unaccounted for because much of it is through unpaid labour. For instance, women’s role in agriculture has been a significant one. Yet they do not figure in the agricultural labour force. Continue reading 2% of labour force: Is the figure for women correct? →