Farista Gohar 
This context raises an important question: What exactly is the double burden?
The term double burden specifically refers to the simultaneous and cumulative pressure of managing intense academic responsibilities alongside significant home-related duties. This silent struggle affects many young people today, but its weight is disproportionately borne by girls, highlighting a core issue of gender inequality.
In many families, girls are expected to manage household chores, care for siblings, and fulfill other demanding family responsibilities, all while striving to meet rigorous academic expectations. This unequal division of labor makes their overall burden far heavier compared to that of their male peers.
When a girl is primarily responsible for perfect domestic management in addition to her studies, she is left with significantly limited time and energy for academic focus. This inequality directly impacts her education, weakens her confidence, and can severely limit her future career opportunities. True empowerment, therefore, requires a shift toward equal sharing of responsibilities to ensure girls have a fair and balanced chance to succeed. Data from organizations like the UN show that young girls globally spend significantly more time on uncompensated household work than boys, even when both are full-time students, clearly illustrating this unfair imbalance.
Beyond the home, academic pressure itself has increased tremendously. Students today face intense expectations to achieve high marks, maintain excellent attendance, outperform classmates, and meet parental demands for excellence. The competitive environment among classmates and extended family members only amplifies this stress. Many parents unintentionally contribute to this emotional strain by comparing their children to others. Tragically, in extreme cases, the unbearable weight of academic pressure has led some students to take their own lives.
The addition of home pressure layers an exhausting mental burden. Managing chores, caring for siblings, and constantly striving to meet family expectations can be mentally draining. While parents undoubtedly want their children to succeed, pushing them beyond their limits often exacerbates the feeling of being overwhelmed. It is crucial for parents to shift from relentless pressure to appreciating the efforts their children already make, recognizing that every child is unique and thrives at their own individual pace.
The youth of today face constant comparison from both teachers and parents. No matter what milestones they achieve, they are often measured against someone else’s performance, leading to deep stress and feelings of inadequacy. To illustrate this point with a personal reflection, I have experienced firsthand how well-meaning family members continuously compared my performance to cousins who excelled academically. While I eventually found self-acceptance and recognized my own unique strengths, this constant comparison caused significant emotional distress.
The ultimate results of this unyielding pressure can be devastating. Recent tragic incidents, such as two young girls from Hafizabad and Upper Dir taking their own lives after experiencing extreme distress over their exam results, serve as stark reminders of this crisis.
Tayyiba, 17, reportedly consumed acid after failing her intermediate exams.
Anmol, 15, ended her life despite scoring 1010 out of 1200 marks, simply because she felt disappointed in her own performance.
These heartbreaking events underscore the growing mental health crisis among students and the crushing, often unattainable, weight of expectations placed upon them. These are not isolated cases; many young people fall into severe depression due to the double burden of academic and home pressure, and some do not survive it.
The double burden is a silent, real crisis that is deeply harming our youth. To effectively address this systemic issue:
Families must share responsibilities fairly to equalize the burden.
Teachers must be empathetic and understand students’ emotional and mental limits.
Society must eliminate the culture of comparison that fosters feelings of inadequacy.
Empowerment truly begins at home, when girls and boys are given equal opportunity, equal respect, and equal support. Only through this collective effort can we foster a healthier, more balanced, and empowering environment for the youth of today.
