SOCIO-CULTURAL AND PATRIARCHAL BARRIERS TO FEMALE HIGHER EDUCATION IN DISTRICT DIR UPPER, KP-PAKISTAN

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the socio-cultural and patriarchal barriers to female higher education in District Dir Upper, Pakistan. It explores the challenges preventing women from pursuing higher education, with a particular focus on parental perspectives regarding these barriers. A purely quantitative research approach was adopted for this study. Primary data was collected from Tehsil Wari, District Dir Upper, using a non-probability purposive sampling technique to select respondents. A total of 400 male heads of households were interviewed. Data collection was conducted through structured questionnaires administered by the researcher in the field. The data was analyzed at both the demographic level and using a binary logistic regression model. The findings reveal that religious beliefs, safety concerns, and the father’s occupation are the primary factors influencing a daughter's ability to pursue higher education. However, the low R-squared value suggests that additional significant factors, not covered in this study, may also contribute to this issue.