Growing up in Contemporary Pakistan: The Separate Worlds of Boys and Girls

Cynthia B. Lloyd, Population Council
Zeba A. Sathar, Population Council
Minhaj ul Haque, Population Council
Judith A. Diers, Population Council

Our paper has two objectives: (1) to characterize the contemporary transitions to adulthood of boys and girls in Pakistan according to key domains such as puberty, schooling, work, engagement, marriage, childbearing and residence and (2) to identify recent changes by comparing the experience of two cohorts (15-19; 20-24). Our analysisis is based on a nationally representative Adolescent and Youth Survey in Pakistan (AYSP) conducted by the Population Council and fielded from October 2001 to March 2002. The questionnaires for young people include background information, life-event histories and time use profiles as well as information on decision-making, mobility and gender role attitudes. A new feature of this questionnaire is the detailed attention to the process of marriage, including the economic aspects of the marriage arrangements.