Exploring The Causes Of Married Women Social Exclusion And Its Impact Upon Family Development In The Rural Areas Of Faisalabad Central Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The family is the smallest unit of a society and, therefore, critical to its development and maintenance. Pakistani society is mainly based on patriarchal system. Fathers and men in families represent one of the most important resources for family well-being especially in those societies where women are excluded and marginalized in the decision-making process at all levels. Women are the most underprivileged segment of Pakistani society, and the life of a rural woman is the most vulnerable as compared to the rest of the women in the country. This research was carried out in rural regions of Pakistan's Central Punjab province, in the district of Faisalabad. Both qualitative and quantitate approaches were used for data collection. Five point likert scale was used to collect the data related to married women exclusion and impact on family development variables. The data was collected from 550 married women in rural setting of Faisalabad, central Punjab.  For qualitative analysis, 11 Focus group discussion were carried out to get in-depth information. A univariate, bivariate and multivariate linear regression model was designed to observe the causality of the association between the variables. The descriptive analysis reveals that social exclusion of women is widespread in rural areas. Rural women are the most vulnerable to social isolation, which has a negative impact on their family and social development. Some women were receiving the good cooperation of their husbands in daily affairs but were excluded from family, property and land affairs. This scenario requires rapid intervention based on well-conceived public policy, which promote the wider participation of women in socio-economic and political spheres through positive efforts so that they can contribute to the development process. Women had access to resources, but they had no control over them. Pakistan can no longer afford to have half of its population socially and economically excluded.