In Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest yet most educationally deprived province, the struggle of educated women to find and sustain teaching jobs is a silent but persistent reality. Despite the growing number of female graduates each year, the path from university to the classroom remains steep, restricted not only by weak institutional systems but also by social expectations and economic limitations.
Across Balochistan’s cities and towns from Quetta to Turbat, Khuzdar, and Pishin— educated women often view teaching as one of the few socially acceptable professions. With degrees many hope to contribute meaningfully to their communities. Yet, their aspirations collide with an unbalanced job market.
Public sector recruitment is limited, slow, and often influenced by bureaucratic hurdles. Consequently, most women turn to private schools, where conditions are rarely ideal. Salaries for female teachers in private institutions can be as low as Rs 18,000–30,000 per month, insufficient even to cover commuting and personal expenses. Many schools lack proper facilities, transportation options, or policies ensuring workplace safety. For women, especially those living in smaller towns or conservative households, these barriers can be decisive.
Beyond economic obstacles, social attitudes in Balochistan remain a major limiting force. Families often worry about women working in mixed environments or traveling far from home. In many cases, women are encouraged to teach only if the school is nearby, the environment is “safe,” and the job does not interfere with domestic responsibilities.
For married women, this expectation is even stronger. Balancing the dual role of wife and teacher often becomes exhausting, especially without family support. The result is that many capable, qualified women choose to stay at home, leaving schools understaffed and students deprived of dedicated female teachers.
Until institutions offer fair pay and safety, and until families allow women to pursue their professional goals freely, the province will continue to lose its most valuable resource: its teachers. And when teachers are lost, so too is the promise of a better, more educated future for Balochistan.
I experienced this reality firsthand after completing my B.Ed and B.Com degrees. Excited to begin my teaching career, I applied to several private schools and was eventually offered a position. The pay was modest, but the opportunity to teach felt valuable.
However, when I discussed the job with my family, concerns immediately arose the school’s distance, the work environment, and the salary were all questioned. As a married woman, I was reminded of my responsibilities at home. After careful thought, I decided not to accept the offer.
It was a painful decision, but many women in Balochistan are forced to make such a decision, often made under family pressure, which deprives schools and students of passionate, qualified teachers. One choice at home can mean an entire classroom losing the guidance of someone who truly wanted to teach.
The impact of these missed opportunities goes far beyond individual disappointment. According to national data (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2023), female labour force participation hovers around 23 percent, one of the lowest in South Asia. In Balochistan, this rate is even lower. When educated women remain outside the workforce, it reduces not only household income but also provincial productivity.
Economists agree that improved education especially for girls directly correlates with higher GDP growth and stronger social outcomes. When qualified teachers, particularly women, are absent from classrooms, it lowers the quality of education, reduces student learning outcomes, and limits the region’s future economic potential. Simply put, every classroom without a teacher today translates into a weaker economy tomorrow.
Addressing this issue requires commitment from both institutions and society.
- Private schools must raise salaries, improve workplace conditions, and ensure safety for female staff. Providing transportation or allowing flexible hours could help women continue working.
- Families and communities should support women’s right to work, viewing their contribution as beneficial to the household and society rather than as a disruption.
- Government policies should promote female employment through incentives, transparent recruitment, and provincial education reforms. Supporting female teachers in remote districts through housing allowances, transport support, or childcare facilities could be trans formative.
The women of Balochistan are educated, ambitious, and capable. Yet, they remain underrepresented in classrooms not because of a lack of passion or qualification, but because of a system that fails to support them.
Until institutions offer fair pay and safety, and until families allow women to pursue their professional goals freely, the province will continue to lose its most valuable resource: its teachers. And when teachers are lost, so too is the promise of a better, more educated future for Balochistan.
