Worldwide, women's ability to lead their lives and to participate fully in society depends largely on their health. When poverty, gender inequities or other socio cultural barriers prevent women from enjoying good health, the consequences extend far beyond women themselves. The empowerment and autonomy of women, and the improvement of their political, social, economic and health status, constitute an important vigour that is essential for achieving sustainable development.

Unfortunately, in our society gender inequality and discrimination harm women's health directly and indirectly, throughout the life cycle. The neglect of their health needs prevents them from playing an important role in society. Unequal power relations between men and women often limit women's control over their bodies and their ability to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Equality of opportunity empowers women and girls to make informed decisions about their health and fertility, and envision identities unbound by sexual, marital and mothering roles.

Women's health needs, nutrition and medical care are widely neglected, and their access to care is much delayed and limited. Family resources are nearly always devoted to caring for male members. Discrimination against girls often begins before birth in the preference for sons, and continues with denial of medical care and education. A study in rural Punjab revealed that between the ages of one and 23 months, female mortality rates are nearly twice of male. Girls born to mothers who already have one or more surviving daughters’ experience 53 percent higher mortality. The same study revealed that although both gender receive the same number of calories, girls are given more cereals, while boys receive more highly valued milk and fats. Existing discrimination against the girl child in her access to nutrition and physical and mental health services not only endangers her current but also future health. An estimated 450 million adult women in developing countries are stunted as a result of childhood protein-energy malnutrition

Vast gender disparities also exist in literacy and school enrollment rates. The literacy rate for females is half of males. The gender gaps in literacy are more evident in rural than urban areas, as only 20% of rural females were literate compared to 48% of rural males as reported in the 1998 census, and the number of illiterate women (29 million) are about 60 percent of total illiterate in the country. This can be attributed to such factors as customary attitudes, child labour, early marriages, lack of funds and lack of adequate schooling facilities, and teenage pregnancies.

Early childbearing continues to be an impediment to improvements in the educational, economic and social status of women in all parts of the country. A clear gender difference remains in the timings of marriage. A closer look at the married adolescent population in Pakistan reveals interesting findings. In the age group between 15-19 years, 3 to 4 percent of males and 17 percent females are married, while in 20-24 years age category 17 percent of males and 54 percent of females are married. There is also an urban/rural difference indicated by the fact that 15 percent of the urban girls fewer than 19 years of age are married whereas 42 percent of the rural girls under age 19 are married. The figures show that majority of women tend to marry with older men, who are more experienced, and more likely to be infected. Men are seeking younger and younger partners to avoid infection and other diseases.