Senior Research and Policy Advisor at PIVRA
Dr. Kanwal Rubab is a researcher, academic, and trainer. She holds a PhD in Development Studies. Her research focuses on education, gender, social policy, child protection, women's empowerment, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.
At PIVRA she serves as Senior Research and Policy Advisor and is the author of the institute's reports, policy briefs and issue briefs on social inequality, food insecurity, artificial intelligence and ESG.
Younger Pakistanis are better educated and better off than their parents, yet family background still strongly shapes education, employment and digital opportunity. Traces how inequality is transmitted across generations, how digitalization and climate shocks add new channels, and sets out six directions for a life-course, SDG-aligned response.
Argues that the evidence does not justify treating algorithms as the sole cause of political polarization, but justifies greater scrutiny of how platforms amplify political content. Recommends election-period algorithmic audits, independent researcher access, user control over recommendations, algorithmic literacy, and multi-stakeholder oversight.
Examines food insecurity in Pakistan through the lens of socioeconomic inequality, tracing how income, livelihood security, purchasing power, location and climate shocks shape unequal access to food. Recommends targeted social protection, purchasing-power measures, and stronger policy coordination across food, nutrition and climate response.
Examines how generative AI is reshaping communication, education, work, and social trust in Pakistan, and argues that AI's success should be measured by human development rather than productivity alone. Recommends AI social-impact assessments, critical AI literacy, and investment in Urdu-language AI systems.
Examines how disparities in education, digital access, skills, and occupational opportunity may create an emerging AI capability divide among Pakistani workers, and recommends inclusive skills development and digital access to prevent AI from deepening existing labour-market inequality.
Pakistan has begun building an ESG regulatory architecture: a green taxonomy, sustainability disclosure standards, ESG reporting guidelines and climate-risk rules. This report maps the gap between that architecture and consistent institutional practice across eight areas, and sets out nine recommendations for aligning ESG with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Examines how structural disparities in education, income, gender, and digital access create skills shortages, restrict market expansion, and increase operational challenges for Pakistani businesses. Recommends coordinated action by government, business, academia, and development partners.
