CHALLENGES FACED BY WOMEN IN REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY OF ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Working women are facing many social, cultural and religious challenges. These challenges make it difficult for women to work in male-dominated employment. Women are only considered suitable for that employment sector where they are in the majority, for example, teaching in a women-specific school or college in Pakistan. Globally, the real estate sector is considered the domain of men. Men get preferential treatment in real estate because of the masculine image of men associated with it.Similarly, in Pakistan, the real estate sector is known as the domain of men, where men can only work. This research study aims to discuss the specific challenges women working in the real estate industry face. Different cultural and religious challenges make it impossible for women to work in the real estate industry. However, the women are working in the real estate industry, and they are also asserting their agency to challenge the pre-existing stereotypes that are associated with the masculine image of the real estate industry. Hence, this research will first discuss the real estate-specific challenges, the general social, cultural, and religious challenges and the prospects for increasing the participation of women in the real estate industry. Islamabad has been selected as the locale of the present research study. It has been found in the study that the cultural and religious norms of purdah (veil) still play a significant role in regulating the dress pattern of women working in the real estate industry of Islamabad. However, women have changed their gender roles and are not engaged in domestic work;instead, they hire maids because they earn a handsome amount of money. Moreover,the woman is considered incapable of working in the real estate sector by their male colleagues and clients. Male colleagues and clients also harass women in the real estate industry.Nevertheless, the women in the real estate sector do not face the mobility issue because their organizations have provided them with transportation facilities. DRSML QAU iv Key words: Real estate industry, sexual harassment, purdah (veil), gender roles, mobility, domestic work, gender norms