THE ROLE OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT TOWARDS HOUSEHOLD POVERTY REDUCTION: EVIDENCE FROM PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Purpose of the study: This study intends to examine the impact of various dimensions of women empowerment on multiple constituents of household poverty in the three cities (Lahore, Multan and, Rawalpindi) of province Punjab, Pakistan. Methodology: The primary data was gathered from a sample of 2400 married and employed females belonging to the three cities of Punjab, Pakistan. For analysis, the study develops its own all-embracing Women Empowerment and Household Poverty variables using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and examines the relationship between the empowerment of women and household poverty using structural equation modeling (SEM). Main Findings: The results show that women empowerment positively and significantly contributes towards household poverty reduction. Applications of this study: Since poverty is one of the greatest challenges that Pakistan is facing today, the need to change poor standards of living and inspiring women to contribute effectively to society through their active participation in the development process is the dire need of time. The results of the study suggest that in addition to targeting poverty directly, policies should be devised that eradicate poverty through the empowerment of women. Novelty/Originality of this study: The majority of the past studies have limited generalizability because they use already available surveys/published data, having limited dimensions/indicators of women empowerment and household poverty. Moreover, the past studies that have examined the phenomenon of women empowerment ignore its psychological dimensions. Therefore, because of minimal comprehensive investigation, the examination of the effect of the empowerment of women on household poverty remains a topic of interest for the researchers.