Gender Roles and Their Influence on Women's Educational Aspirations after Marriage

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the psychological, emotional and socio-economic implications on married women putting curbs on post-marriage higher education of women in Loralai, Balochistan. The study provides information on the effect of societal attitudes and gender roles on the education of female students, and investigate how these attitudes stop women from pursuing education to enable them build their self-esteem, mental health, social status and economic independence. The study used purposive sampling method, with 12 married women respondents selected for in depth interview. The selected women had already been denied opportunities to continue their education after marriage. Psychological outcomes of the findings range from frustration and loss of identity to feelings of inadequacy; socio-economic implications go from economic dependency and creativity suppression to reduced socio-economic status. Moreover, the study reflects societal attitudes and practices in Loralai, where women are confined to domestic role and expected to have domestic responsibilities before their educational desire. The study intends to identify ways to support women towards attaining their educational goals with a particular emphasis on the significance of spousal support in the motivation towards education, advancing societal change, and the need for policy reforms to enable women to balance both family and education. These findings shed light on the challenges married women in Loralai encounter and underscore the importance of creating an enabling environment to facilitate their educational pursuits.

Keywords: Higher Education. Marriage, Gender Roll, Women, Loralai, Balochistan