PROBLEMS CHALLENGES FACE BY FEMALE IN GETTING EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY IN ZHOB DIVISION BALUCHISTAN

Abstract

The Higher Education of women plays a significant role in building the human capital and the overall socio-cultural and economic development of a country to make it sustainable. The present study explored the problems faced by female students and faculty regarding higher education in Pakistan. Data were collected from 280 students and teachers from government colleges and universities spread over from Zhob division of Baluchistan by using the “Scale for Women’s Problems in Higher Education” that measured personal and social problems of female students and faculty related to higher education. Results indicated that respondents with a background in arts feel significantly more discrimination on the socio-cultural challenge. However, personal insecurity ratings were lowest in the Zhob district. The lack of parental, particularly paternal, support poses a substantial risk, as females in unsupportive family systems struggle more to pursue higher education. Gender plays a crucial role, with males generally more favorable toward female education, while marital status introduces additional challenges, as married women encounter greater difficulties in continuing their education. This study recommends that access to higher education is a right of every woman in Pakistan and is a moral and social duty to achieve a sustainable society.

Keywords: Socio- Cultural Change. Cultural Barriers, Female Education