Impact of Higher Education on Women Empowerment: A Sociological Study of Women of Taluka Khairpur
Author: Shabana K. Mirbahar, shab.mirbahar@gmail.com
Department: Sociology
University: Shah Abdul Latif University, Pakistan
Supervisor: Dr. Santosh Kumar
Year of completion: 2020
Language of dissertation: English
Keywords:
Women Empowerment
, Higher Education
, Gender Equality
, Patriarchy
Areas of Research:
Women in Society
, Famine and Society
, Human Rights and Global Justice
Abstract
Women in our society are victimized and limited due to influence of patriarchal system. This research summarizes to find out the impact of higher education on women’s empowerment. The findings of the study explored that to what extent attainment of higher education empowers women of Taluka Khairpur Mirs’, Sindh, Pakistan.
The purpose of this research is to explore how higher education has empowered women to lead their lives independently; how far they exercise self- autonomy in the domestics/social, economic, educational, health and politics/legal domains of life. The research also implored the influence of patriarchy which hinders women in their desired freedom and authority over their own selves and those associated with them.
The research results were analyzed in SPSS on both quantitative and qualitative approaches using a purposive non probability sampling method. For data collection a semi structured survey instrument was used to interview the sample size of 200 females (with a bachelor degree and higher) from district Khairpur.
Respondents highlighted that higher education has positively enhanced their political, health and educational pursuance as compared to social and economic empowerment. One of the major findings was that attainment of higher education empowers women to overcome a number of inequitable practices concurrently on macro level.
The researcher suggested that further educational strategies must be developed with an aim of reducing gender inequalities in all areas of education across Pakistan, particularly with special focus to increase participation of females in higher education. Both men and women should be educated towards the human rights to end the discriminatory practices prevailing in our society. In conclusion, through this research it had been proved that higher education drastically empower women in different domains of life.
