Socio-Cultural and Economic Obstacles During Higher Education: A Quantitative Study on Female University Students in Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Educating females brings socio-economic prosperity to a nation. Investing in higher education contributes to the comprehension of social standards of people in society; allowing freedom to individuals and preventing prejudice based on sex, religion, and class. It also has a positive impact on human beings' personal, social, economic, and cultural elements. However, the sociocultural environment in Pakistan has made women face gender discrimination. Despite the higher rate of women at primary and intermediate levels, there is a growing gender disparity in literacy when it comes to higher education. Approximately 70 percent of those lacking basic education are girls. Therefore, the present study aimed at finding out the educational impediments or barriers faced by females during higher education at university level. It was also intended to find out the correlation between educational obstacles and demographic variables of the respondents. The present study used a quantitative approach and selected one public and one private university of Lahore and collected data from 149 women by using a questionnaire as a tool for data collection. The data was analyzed through SPSS software version 21 to create a descriptive image of the barriers women are facing at the university level. The results of the present study yielded that female students were barred from completing higher education due to sociocultural factors, early marriage trends, poor transport facilities, patriarchy, harassment, accommodation problems, and financial issues. This study was done to address the issues that females encounter at the university level. The results also demonstrated that rural and urban area females were both deprived of basic facilities like transportation, and accommodation for a better higher education. 

Key Words: Higher Education; Females; Patriarchy; Socio-Cultural; Punjab