COMPARING THE DECISION-MAKING POWER OF WOMEN AT HOUSEHOLD IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS

Abstract

The current research studies the decision-making power of married women residing in Urban Nuclear settings and rural women from joint families. Women faces inequality in different ways within Pakistani society because it is reflected as male dominated. The objective of the study was to check out the decision-making ability and participation of women in nuclear and joint settings of urban and rural areas. Liberal Feminism theory was applied which shows different indicators that hinders women in making decisions. The Quantitative Approach was selected, the universe of the study was F-7/2 sector of Islamabad and Village Ahdi Tehsil Gujar khan District Rawalpindi because the study is comparative analysis of decision-making power. The respondents were selected through purposive sampling and data was collected with the help of structured interview schedule. After gathering data Statistical Package for Social Sciences 22.0 version was used to analyze the data. Descriptive and Inferential Statistical techniques were applied. Comparative analysis is the core concept of study, So co-relation was examined. The findings of the study showed that Urban women have more decision-making power then rural women. Majority of deciders were elders of the family even if women was educated nevertheless if not employed then depends on elders or on husband for money. To raise women status in society education ought to be made obligatory. Hurdles like male dominancy, conservative thoughts, social and cultural barriers, early marriages should be eradicated to make women independent and free deciders. The result of study stated the correlation among male dominancy and free decision-making right of women with recommendation about raising women status and making them free deciders at the end. Keywords: Decision-making power, Urban and rural areas, SPSS, Power, family systems.