THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN ADDRESSING GENDER DISPARITY IN WOMEN’S DECISION-MAKING: A STUDY OF RURAL TOBA TEK SINGH

Abstract

Traditional gender roles define gender in Pakistani society.  Females in Pakistan are expected to marry and become members of their husband's family. Traditional beliefs hold that females should stay at home and care for their spouses and kids.  When it comes to gender roles, males in Pakistan have sway.  Despite the fact that women and men have equal rights in Islam.  The dominant Indian culture has a significant impact on Pakistani culture, particularly its view on gender roles.  Culture and religion in Pakistan impact how people learn.  Literacy, educational achievement, employment position, media access, marital status, age at first marriage, desire for children, and access to the internet were some of the socio-economic and demographic variables examined in this research on gender inequality and women's empowerment.  More specifically, it used a battery of concrete, evidence-based measures to evaluate women's empowerment on a household level.  Most studies examining the role of gender in workplace decision-making have focused on either the supply-side, which concerns the difference between men's and women's social and human capital, or the demand-side, which concerns the difference between men's and women's expectations of status in the workplace.  The current research aims to learn how people in rural parts of District Toba Tek Singh perceive gender inequality and how it affects women's ability to make decisions.  After randomly selecting two councils of union (Uc-25 and Uc-26) from the tehsil, four villages were chosen, two from each UC. The villages in UC-25 were Chak No. 375/JB and 377/JB, while in UC-26 were Chak NO. 388/JB and 386/JB.  The selection was made proportionately from a pool of 160 responders.  For each hamlet that was chosen, forty women were questioned.   First, in accordance with the study's goals, four villages were randomly picked from the tehsil of district Toba Tek Singh.  The present research used a random sample approach to interview 160 respondents from chosen tehsils of Toba Tek Singh.  A meticulously organized interview schedule was used to gather data for the research in order to investigate its aims.  The appropriate statistical procedures were used to examine the gathered data.  Only 30.6% of those who took the survey were between the ages of 26 and 30.  Approximately one-third of the participants (30.6%) could not read or write, whereas one-third (33.1%) had completed high school or more.  A little over half of the households surveyed were involved in agriculture, while 55.0% were not.  Among those who filled out the survey, almost 50% were unemployed or housewives.  Gender equality was supported by a large majority of respondents, with 90% of them being in favor. The overall findings reveal that most respondents are from middle to lower-income backgrounds, with a considerable proportion being illiterate or having limited education. While women are often consulted in routine domestic matters—such as cooking, household supervision, and attending ceremonies—their participation declines in critical areas, especially children’s medical treatment. The analysis of the hypothesis confirms that higher education strongly enhances women’s decision-making participation, suggesting education as a key driver of empowerment. Despite some degree of social freedom, persistent gender disparities remain, particularly in decisions requiring greater authority or financial control.