Breaking Barriers And Empowering Minds: The Role Of Education In Women's Personal Empowerment In Hardto Reach Areas Of The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

The current study focuses on the role of education and women's personal empowerment in hard-to-reach areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study explores how education empowers women in decision-making, access to jobs, and decisions about their lives. The nature of the study is quantitative, whereas the data was collected from 360 government school teachers (including 180 primary school teachers, 92 Middle school teachers, and 88 high school teachers) in the four targeted districts (Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The sample size for the study was selected through Krejci and Morgan's sample size determination table and the data was collected through a structured questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed through Statistical Package for [1]Social Sciences (SPSS) software, by applying the chi-square test for the association between dependent and independent variables. The data was presented in the form of tables having frequency, percentages, and mean. Results of the study revealed that education has a great role in the personal development of the women as, it is education which encourage women for decision making and to ask about their rights. Further, the education empowers women to take control of self and decide what is good for her. Moreover, education builds self confidence among women and increases her access to job. Such economic empowerment ultimately leads to the women empowerment in newly merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Based on study results, it is recommended that women education should make free and easy in the locality as well as increases women employment opportunities for the best outcomes.