The Role of Higher Education in the Socioeconomic Empowerment of Women in South Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find out the impact of higher education on socioeconomic empowerment of women in South Punjab, Pakistan. More specifically, the study focused on the perceptions of female students about the role of higher education institutions in the empowerment of women in economic and social aspects and analyzed the differences in perceptions according to some demographic variables. Empowerment of women is acknowledged as an essential ingredient in the realization of sustainable development, gender equality and inclusive socio-economic development. The role of higher education in improving employment opportunities, financial independence, leadership and decision making skills of women, and their social participation is very significant. Although higher education in Pakistan has been expanding, very little empirical evidence is available to draw conclusions on the role of higher education in the socioeconomic empowerment of women in south Punjab, thus the relevance of this investigation. This study was conducted using a quantitative research approach with descriptive survey research design. The students of female colleges of The Women University Multan, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan and Emerson University Multan were selected as the target population. The number of respondents selected in the sample using random sampling is 377. A self-developed questionnaire comprising of demographic information and two dimensions of women empowerment – economic empowerment and social empowerment, was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using SPSS with descriptive statistics, regression analysis, independent-samples *t*-test and one way ANOVA. The results showed that the respondents strongly felt that higher education plays an important role in the socioeconomic empowerment of females. Higher education was seen to improve the employment prospects, economic independence, career progression, social position, leadership, self-confidence and legal and social awareness of women. Economic empowerment (R² = .808) and social empowerment (R² = .807) were found to be significant factors affecting women's socioeconomic empowerment using regression analysis. The study suggests that government authorities and universities should give opportunities to women to go to higher educational institutions by providing scholarships and financial support and adopting inclusive higher education policies especially in the areas of South Punjab which are not well served. Universities need to further reinforce their career counseling, leadership development, entrepreneurship and digital skills programmes to improve women's socioeconomic status.