Barriers to Female Literacy in Tribal Areas of Pakistan: Qualitative Cum Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to find out the causes of low literacy rate in the tribal areas of Dera Ghazi Khan. The study was delimited to the three Union Councils of Tribal areas. All the female elementary school teachers and the mothers of the children studying in the girls elementary schools situated in these three Union Councils served as the target population of the study. One questionnaire and a structured interview were used as research tools in this study. A scale regarding the causes of low literacy (SCLL) was administered to the teachers and the interview was taken from the mothers of the elementary school children about the causes of low literacy in tribal areas. The collected data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The results of the study showed that ignorance, poverty, conservative thinking of the people, feudal mind set of the chief of the tribes and the perception of the tribal people that “girls are only for house service”, were the main causes of low literacy. Monetary support and literacy awareness campaign were recommended for the people of tribal areas.