BARRIERS TO EMPOWERMENT: A CONSTRAINT ANALYSIS OF RURAL WOMEN’S ACCESS TO SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Technological advancement requires inclusive development, yet in Pakistan rural women are still excluded from education and skill development to limit their economic contribution. Despite promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), women are structurally disadvantaged when it comes to empowerment. This study addresses the problem of rural women’s inaccessibility to vocational training due to cultural, geographical, institutional, and economic challenges. Cross-sectional study design was used to carry out this research in Faisalabad District of Punjab with an aim to study 382 women from rural-background. Participants were chosen through multi-stage sampling from a population of the graduates of 15 vocational training institutes of district Faisalabad. Data were collected on a pre-tested interview schedule and analyzed employing descriptive statistics. Relative Importance Index (RII), Chi-square, Kendall's W, Friedman's test, and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) were used to study the data. The results indicate that cultural practices (RII = 0.83), safety issues in travel (RII = 0.77), and absence of childcare facilities (RII = 0.83) acted as key deterrents in women empowerment. Financial constraints, specifically transport cost (RII = 0.99) and training material cost (RII = 0.96), were found to be the most stringent limitations. Six major dimensions of constraints—financial, cultural, social, institutional, logistical, and safety constraints, accounting for 67.6% variance, were identified by EFA. The research concludes that vocational training upgrades women's skills, confidence, and entrepreneurship, but systemic constraint limit its full potential. It suggests rural-based training facilities, transport and child care assistance, monetary incentives, customized programs, and awareness initiatives for sustainable women’s empowerment.