Understanding the Issue of Gender Discrimination as a ‘Crime’ of Gender Apartheid and Placing Violence against Women at the Centre of this Matrix

This paper using the model of Racial Apartheid, once prevalent in South Africa, attempts to ask whether some of the severe forms of gender discrimination can be treated and termed as Gender Apartheid. It argues that class domination/segregation regime does not always have to follow the exact South African model in order to qualify for the crime of apartheid, the proof that discriminatory acts are severe, systematic and institutionalized are enough to establish the crime. The article notes that despite many commonalities between the two types of crimes, the degree of condemnation that practices of Racial Apartheid receive is far greater than the comparable acts of gender apartheid. It recommends that Apartheid, whether racial or gender, should be treated equally, and gender apartheid should accordingly be considered ‘crime against humanity’.&nbsp

Institutional Quality and Economic Growth: Panel ARDL Analysis for Selected Developing Economies of Asia

The role of institutions in economic growth has received much attention of the researchers and policy makers in the last two decades. The literature available on this issue is not clear. The literature reveals that there is a growing dissatisfaction over the neo-classical and endogenous growth models. In recent literature institutional economics has emerged for determining the economic growth. In view of this fact, the present study is an attempt to explain the impact of institutional quality on economic growth in developing economies of Asia. The study uses panel data for the period 1990-2013 for 13 developing economies of Asia. Institutional quality index has been constructed by using principal component analysis. The results of Panel ARDL show that institutional quality has positive impact on economic growth. The results of panel causality test show that causality runs from institutional quality to economic growth. The study stresses that for increasing economic growth there is a need to improve institutional quality in selected Asian developing countries

Peoples’ Perceptions about Visiting Sufi Shrine in Pakistan

Sufi shrines hold great importance in Pakistani society. Followers of the shrines consider it sacred place and they perform different rituals there. The role of Sufis has been considered as intermediary who lead towards the path of God and success. Present study deployed qualitative research technique whereby data was drawn from 19 in-depth interviews at the Hazrat Mian Mir’s Shrine in Lahore. Findings of the study revealed that majority of the people have strong belief upon the blessings of Sufis and they visit shrine to fulfill their social, economic, physical, and spiritual needs. They believed that the late Sufis of shrine could listen, correspond and help them in multiple ways. However, some people thought otherwise. They believed the Sufi of shrine as pious ones but they did not believe upon the intermediary role of Sufis between human beings and Allah. Perceptions about myths and superstitions varied with regard to gender and level of education but majority of visitors did not believe in myths and superstitions.&nbsp

Universal Primary Education in Pakistan: constraints and challenges

This paper addresses the issue of universal primary education (one of the MDGs) in Pakistan. It is unlikely for Pakistan to achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015. The main assumption in this study is that existence and proper functioning of a school in a locality need its integration with the community and other local institutions by making them the stakeholders. It also intends to identify the problems in the way of universal primary education in Pakistan. An allencompassing approach (that addresses all the constraints) to this issue may be useful to achieve the goal of Universal Primary Education in Pakistan. The study draws on secondary data such as review of government reports, scientific published material and other relevant literature. We found that the issue has multiple dimensions, such as insufficient educational services, especially in rural areas, incompetent and untrained teachers (mostly recruited on the basis of political recommendation) and poor quality of education. We also identified other constraints concerned with the UPE, such as poor physical and educational environment, poverty, lack of community participation, illiterate parents and lack of political commitment and good governance. This situation, with regard to primary education, creates doubts about the utility of schooling among the resource constrained parents. Additionally, inadequate and insufficient technical and vocational training institutions for those students who successfully complete the primary education are also an inhibiting factor. It is important that the school is made a part of the larger social structure and ought to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of students, parents and the community at large.&nbsp