Religious Misinterpretation and Gendered Guilt Among Rural Pakistani Girls: The Mediating Role of Moral Self-Surveillance

This study examines the psychological consequences of perceived gendered religious restrictiveness among adolescent girls in rural Pakistan, focusing on the mediating role of moral self-surveillance. Drawing on Feminist Theology and Internalized Oppression Theory, the research conceptualizes gender-differentiated religious expectations as structural forces that shape girls’ internal worlds. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 388 adolescent girls enrolled in public-sector higher secondary schools in District Bhakkar. Structural equation modeling revealed that perceived gendered religious restrictiveness was significantly associated with both shame-proneness and body anxiety. Moral self-surveillance partially mediated these relationships, indicating that restrictive religious norms contribute to internalized distress largely through heightened self-monitoring and moral self-evaluation. The findings illustrate how externally imposed gendered expectations become internalized, influencing girls’ emotional experiences and body-related concerns, and underscore the importance of culturally responsive interventions that address gendered religious norms alongside individual-level psychological support to promote healthier developmental outcomes for adolescent girls.