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Pakistan Article thirty seven clearly document that education is a fundamental right of
every citizen, but still incongruity in gender exist in educational sector. According to
Human Development Report (2011) of United Nations Development Program, ratio of
female to male with at least secondary education is 0.502, and public expenditure on
education amounts to only 2.7% of the GDP of the country.
As education is important for everyone either they are male or female, so no one can
deny its importance in our life. When we talk about significance of education then it is
especially significant for girls and women. Buchmann(2011) mentioned in his study that
Education for women is important not because for progress and opportunities in life, but
also because the educational achievements of women can have ripple effects within the
family and across generations. As far as concerning other factors, education is one of the
most effective ways to reduce poverty.
Now this is the reality of the time that education is the key for women to move up the
ladder of society for surviving. As men always consider women inferior and that thought
has been embedded in our culture, but odd exist and they view that women are as smart
and strong as men in handling all the things that men can do, but this number is just not
enough. Women strive their best to be equal as any men out there, and the main element
that enable them to slowly change the bias view of the world is through education. A
women with knowledge is a respectable woman, she has the power to make people listen
to her and the charisma that makes people follow her.
The structure of educational system acts a basic role in allocation of personnel to
various occupational positions. It sorts people according to differences in valued abilities,
channels them into streams of training which develop their capacities, and encourages
them to aspire to adult roles that are in keeping with their talents (Prtirim, 1927).
However, many factors attribute in educational accomplishment other than the ability
of the student to the attainment of his or her higher degree. Among these factors the
rooting factor is the differences in the level and value of education that is available in that
country, state, or community in which he \ she lives. Other include differential access to
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educational facilities according to his \ her social class status, religion, race, and ethnic
origins; differences in his \ her motivations, values, and attitudes; and differences in the
willingness and ability of his \ her parents and significant others to provide the financial
and psychological supports necessary for the maximization of his\her talent potential.
Consequently, some other studies of college plans and college attendance have tend to
stress the influence of socioeconomic status, while those of college graduation have
tended to emphasize the influence of ability.
This is best summarized by Wolfle,2012 who after examining the facts which were
accessible for him , reached the conclusion that the chances of gaining higher education
or enrollment at college level decreases more harshly for children from economically and
socially less favored homes as compare to intellect or does for children from favored
home. But after getting admission or entering in institution the situation change and then
totally depend upon the student's intellect and interest
If one gazes at the prestige of women's education then one can observe a strong link
between education of women and national development, but there is considerable gender
disparities in the field of education. The question then arise is why these disparities were
never consider or while taking the decision they are ignored , then it could be observe that
as family, the cost and the benefits of educating daughters may be quite different from
these associated with education of sons. If we specifically observe the benefits of
educating women in developing countries, they are public where as if bother cost it is
private, that's the reason still difference persist in our society.
Elizabeth and Anne quoted Lockheed et.al, 1991 that generally gross enrollment rates
cover the measure of educational progress which is usually reported for all primary and
secondary classes. Data indicate that less then sixty percent of those who enrolled in low
middle income countries, reach the final year of primary cycle, primary school
compilation rate decline in 1980's in poorest countries. Elizabeth and Anne also quoted
Bellew& King, 1991 that dropout rates are considered from country to country on
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average 9.6 % in low income countries girls leave primary school before finishing as
compared with 8.2% boys.
The impact of economical growth and family on education of women are undesirable,
but raising education can contribute in very important way to development.
The current state of women's education is low and for understanding the dynamic the
gender discrimination or difference in education endure because those persons who bear
the private cost of investing in school or higher education's for girls and women fails to
receive the full benefit of investment. The effect of female education might be different,
but the difference is usually seen in poor countries at larger level.
Then the question which is precisely significant is why do women remain under
educated compared with men? Why does gender difference in education persist?
Pakistani society is with Patriarchal values which deeply rule the social structure in
Pakistani society. Home is consider as the woman's legitimate ideological and physical
space, where she have to performs all private role or role which are stereotypically
define by society. As she has reproductive role as a mother and wife, and men are for
public role like dominates the world outside the home and performs his productive role as
a breadwinner. So one can say that men and women are conceptually segregated into two
distinct worlds, boys or male member are assigned the role for developing or earning
household resources so are allocated in the favor of them because of their bread earner
role. In this way education is the first priority for males, because it is perceived that boys
must be equipped with educational skills to compete for public role as resource
developer, while girls have to specialize for private role which are domestic in nature,
like skills to be good mothers and wives, and education is considered not to be that
important for girls. This gender division of labor has been internalized by the society, and
girls/women do not have many choices for themselves that could change these patriarchal
realities of their lives (Chaudhary&Rehman, 2009).
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In Pakistani society patriarchal values are deeply embedded, and its demonstrations in
much different perspective are experienced in different aspects of the society. Our society
trained women in different domestic unpaid task like they work as mothers and wives at
home, whereas men are trained for public sector and they perform paid work, so they are
consider as resource developer and breadwinners for family. This stereotypic role of a
women lead to a low level of resource investment in girl's education not only by their
families and also by the state. This is the reason that, low investment for women's creates
social biases for women. The cultural practices like restrictions on women's mobility and
stigma of respect attach to women in patriarchal society internalized women and become
the basis for gender discrimination and disparities. This might be the reason that women
are unable to develop job-market skills, so they are away from technical world. They also
have limited opportunities available to them in the wage-labor market because of low
investment for them in educational sector, which create hindrance in their career
selection. Moreover, social and cultural restrictions limit women's chances to compete for
resources in a world outside the four walls of their homes. It translates into social and
economic dependency of women on men. The nature and degree of women's oppression
and subordination vary across classes, regions and the rural and urban divide. It has been
observed that male dominant structures are relatively more marked in the rural and tribal
setting where local customs and indigenous laws establish stronger male authority and
power over women (Khan, 2007).
It is believed that women occupied a dominant place in earlier societies but
urbanization brings the concept of power which increased male dominance over female.
The all rights are exclusively gone to authoritative group and as the head of the family
male gain the right to decide anything for family (Ahmed, 1992).Women don't have the
right and same opportunities as men. (Verma, 2006).
Different approaches to mainstreaming the needs and concerns of women in the
development agenda emerged from the 1970s onwards, when there was the realization
that development and changes in society influence women and men in different ways
(David, 1993; Stein, 1997; Radford, 1998; Francis & Skelton, 2001). This is usually
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known as Women in Development Approach (WID). The WID framework, with its
emphasis on bringing women into development has strong links to the aspects of liberal
feminism. It stresses the importance of including women in development planning to
improve the efficiency. However this approach ignores the questions of exploitation,
subordination and social injustice. In opposition to WID approach, the Gender and
Development Approach (GAD) emerged in late 1980s (Aikman &.Unterhalter, 2005).
This was a paradigm shift from the "women in development" approach, which
focused almost exclusively on women and the impact of macroeconomic policies on their
lives, to the "gender and development" perspective. This examines the relationship
between the social and economic roles of both women and men across different spheres
of life to achieve better living environment for both. This change in perspective led to a
parallel shift in data production: from "statistics on women" to "gender statistics," or
statistics on women and men in all spheres of life. The WID approach to the challenge of
gender inequality in education is to get more girls in schools while GAD approaches have
had impact on practice of equality of gender with special emphasis on women's
empowerment (Aikman &.Unterhalter, 2005).
Cultural behaviours are considered as a major hurdle in the female education
especially toward technical education in developing countries. Studies reveal that the
traditional role of females is a restriction of females on their mobility and absence of
substantial autonomy play a significant role in access to education. Keng (2004) explains
in his study that the parental attitude towards their child's education is very positive as
compared to material force. Buchmann and Hannum (2001) expressed in their study that
the cultural play an important role in deciding the fate of a girl child for attaining
education, because cultural beliefs and attitudes in society play an important role in
deciding the educational levels of girls in family. Stith et al. (2003) are of the opinion that
low social and cultural values placed on female education reinforce the notion that young
girl is not a viable candidate for education.
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Liu (2004) attributed cultural behaviour of society as the low value for women
education in Taiwan. Parish and Willis (1993) argued that cultural attitude and patriarchy
cause parents to manipulate their daughters for the benefits of brothers and themselves. A
number of studies found the conservative attitude of parents responsible for less
schooling among females (Rose and Al-Samarrai, 2001; Ahmad, 2005; Smits and
Hosgor, 2006). The heads of the households with innovative attitude towards females'
mobility and their participation in the social and economic activities of life suggested
higher levels of education for females. Therefore, the female children belonged to heads
of the households with the innovative attitude had higher education as compared to those
belonging to heads of the households who had strong belief in the old traditional values
of the rural society. Rural women in China gained better access to higher education
during the Cultural Revolution but rural society of Pakistan is honour-based society in
girl's education. (Hannum, 1999).
Significance of the study:
Education for female plays a significant role in the growth and progress of the
community. The literacy rate among rural females is 29% in Pakistan. In the developing
societies like Pakistan, the traditional attitude towards women education is considered a
major hurdle in girls' schooling. It is apparent that both social and economical aspects are
significantly associated with planning for higher education as well as with progress
through the system of higher education. Due to the normative differences in male and
female role in our society the preference with reference to socio economical goes to male,
so the relative effect of socio economical is greater for female which in end is the major
cause of change in their future career direction. The current research aim to highlight
main cause that effect the higher education and career goals of a female in Pakistani
society. The research will try to explore that either the societal customs or the economical
reason are vital, and how they effect female higher education. The research will strain to
reconnoiter the proper understanding and realization of the issue.
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2 Research Methodology
The current research will utilize qualitative approach in order to explore the
Socioeconomic Impact on Women's Educational Journey and its directions. An open
ended questionnaire is used for the qualitative analysis.
2.1 Objectives
Education has central significance to the development of human society and women are
placed at the bottom. But with the passage of time status of women is improving and with
this development in education make them able to enhance their status and putting them in
equal feet with man. Keeping this in mind the current research is designed to explore the
Impact of Socioeconomic factors on Women's Educational Journey and its directions.
For this following objectives were designed:
1. To examine the impact of social factors on women's educational journey and its
directions.
2. To explore the impact of economics on women's educational journey and its
directions.
3. To examine the association of socioeconomic status in women's career choice.
2.2 Hypotheses
The hypotheses that are tested in this study are as follows:
1. There is an impact of social factors on women's educational journey and its
directions.
2. There is the impact of economics on women's educational journey and its
directions.
3. There is a relation between socioeconomic status of women and career choice.
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2.3 Operational Definitions
Economical Impact:
The access of girls and women to education along with the kind of education they
received is determined by their social class. At that time usually people from upper and
educated class joined higher education. It is again culture because parents prefer sons to
be educated rather than girl if they have limited resources. Parents used to think that their
old age security is attached to the better income of their sons. Parents during their old age
have to live their sons. If son is educated and earn more they have a better future. (Dean,
Art and Humanities).
Social Impact:
Women status found to be inferior in societal hierarchy. Women have to accept this
position and they internalized subservient position. Asian patriarchal culture where
obedient behavior is expected from women, as they accept men as highly decision maker.
As women they have to agree what their social environment expects from them. So the
society plays an important role in decision of girl's educational career.
2.4 Participants
The non-probability sampling, in which purposive convenient sampling technique was
applied, the sample for this research comprised of 25 female respondents from the
different occupational sectors (Doctors, lawyers, academia, bankers etc) both public and
private organizations from Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The age range of the respondents
was 25 to 45 years. The data is collected from upper middle and lower middle class
respondents. The sample consists of both married and unmarried women.
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2.5 Research Design
Qualitative research design is used in this study. The research has been identifying and
evaluating the impact of social and economical factors on women's educational journey
and its directions.
2.6 Instruments
For the measurement of the impact of social and economical factors on women's
educational journey. Following instruments were used;
1. Demographic Data Sheet
2. Consent form
3. Open ended Questionnaire
Demographic Data Sheet:
The detail of demographic was collected from the respondents. Keeping the objective of
the research in mind a socio demographic sheet was developed. Which cover the detailed
demographic information consisted of the information related to respondent's age,
socioeconomic status, education, marital status from which area they belong to etc. data
was collected on the basis of personal information provided by the respondent.
Consent form:
A written consent was taken from the respondents. for this a consent form was
developed which explained the nature of the study and it was ensured to the respondent
by the researcher that the information they provided will be used for research purpose
only and confidentiality would be maintained by researcher. This was also mentioned
that the personal information of the respondents will not be disclosed on any step and in
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- , 2016, Female education in Pakistan. The Impact of Socioeconomic factors, Hamburg, Bedey Media GmbH, https://www.anchor-publishing.com/document/342571
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