Women academics' motivation for higher education and empowerment: a qualitative case study in Pakistan

Women academics' motivation for higher education and empowerment: a qualitative case study in Pakistan

Women's empowerment is an important goal of the educational processes around the world. Women in developing countries need support and motivation for attaining higher education and empowerment. This qualitative-exploratory study sought to explore the perceptions of Pakistani female university a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gender and education Vol. 36; no. 6; pp. 599 - 614
Main Authors: Ur Rehman, Ahsan, Ilyas Khan, Muhammad, Dayan, Uzma, Munir Ahmad, Syed
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Abingdon Routledge 17-08-2024
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:
Academic staff
Attainment
Case studies
Developing countries
Economic factors
Economic stabilization
Empowerment
Fathers
Fulfilment
Higher education
Husbands
LDCs
Learning Processes
Motivation
Pakistan
Patriarchy
Positioning
Professional identity
Public sector
Social motivation
Social structure
Universities
Women
Women academics
Workplaces
Pakistan
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Women's empowerment is an important goal of the educational processes around the world. Women in developing countries need support and motivation for attaining higher education and empowerment. This qualitative-exploratory study sought to explore the perceptions of Pakistani female university academics living inside predominantly patriarchal social structures regarding their motivation for and issues in attaining higher education and empowerment. The study also aimed at understanding the notion of empowerment and areas where women academics have achieved empowered status. The study also investigated women academics' access to higher education, and its impact on their current social positioning in a traditional social setup. A total of 30 purposefully selected women academics from public sector universities in Northwest Pakistan constituted the study sample. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that patriarchal social structures in and outside workplaces influence women academics' motivation for higher education and empowerment. However, some motivational factors, including economic stability, professional identity in society, intellectual fulfilment and support of fathers and husbands seemed instrumental in contributing to women academics' pursuits of higher education and attainment of positions in academia.
ISSN:0954-0253
1360-0516
DOI:10.1080/09540253.2024.2363240