ABSTRACT

Women's participation in higher education is mainly attributed to varying socioeconomic and cultural practices. By employing a survey and focus group discussion, we ascertained the social and cultural determinants and the impact on female higher education in the high mountainous rural areas of Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan. Through analysing responses from 160 participants, we found that low levels of parental education, gender biases, safety concerns, and early-age marriages are some of the dominating sociocultural constraints on female higher education. Likewise, demographic and economic factors including the parents’ age, occupation, and level of income also influence the participation of females in higher education. It is imperative to engage various stakeholders such as local community, parents, and religious leaders to address parental concerns and overcome the sociocultural restraints on female higher education, and for developmental practitioners to ensure access and opportunities for females in Gilgit-Baltistan.

摘要

妇女接受高等教育主要归因于不同的社会经济和文化习俗。通过调查和焦点小组讨论，我们确定了巴基斯坦吉尔吉特-巴尔蒂斯坦省高山区农村地区的社会和文化决定因素及其对女性高等教育的影响。通过分析 160 名参与者的回答，我们发现父母教育水平低、性别偏见、安全问题和早婚是女性高等教育的主要社会文化制约因素。同样，人口和经济因素，包括父母的年龄、职业和收入水平，也会影响女性接受高等教育的情况。必须让各种利益相关者参与进来，例如当地社区、父母、