The Role of Electronic Media in Women Empowerment; A Case Study of Nawabshah

Abstract

Women play an important role in the development of a country. In Pakistan, efforts are being made to empower women in almost every field of life but in rural areas women are still living in miserable conditions. The present study was designed to check the impact of women empowerment on rural development in district Nawabshah of Sindh province. The data from female respondents have been collected. Different dimensions of women empowerment have been measured, using through SPPS Software. The analysis found that self-esteem, the power of decision making and freedom of mobility were statistically significant factors showing a positive impact on rural development while control over resources was found to be insignificant. It has been suggested that adequate education and job opportunities can play a vital role in empowering the women. Moreover, access to media specifically TV can also empower women in a significant way. This chapter starts by acknowledging that women’s empowerment is a multifaceted concept and drawing upon the feminist interpretation of power – the core concept of empowerment – to anchor the proposed argument. In regard to digital media, the existing literature well documents that women have had a great opportunity to capture various forms of horizontal, participatory communication to exercise power in their living circumstances. This sets the scene for creating possible theoretical links between digital media and women’s empowerment.

Keywords: Women empowerment, Media Power, Women Empowerment, Digital Divide