This study investigate the social barriers affecting women's political empowerment in Bajaur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Despite constitutional guarantees and policy efforts to enhance gender equity and equality, female involvement in the political activities remains neglected due to restricted mobility, traditional gender role, purdah (veiling), limited access to resources and patriarchal norms. The study found that women face more restrictions than men in the political process. The chi-square test was used to assess the association between independent and dependent variable (social barriers with women's political empowerment). This study employed a quantitative research design and collected primary data from 375 household heads through a structured questionnaire. The study concluded that despite constitutional and structural provisions guaranteeing women's political participation, various social barriers hinder the implementation of these provisions. The study results indicate a significant relationship between women's political empowerment and social barriers such as traditional gender role, Purdah (Veiling), Patriarchal norms, family influence religious misinterpretation, ignorance, no political awareness, and restricted mobility. The study recommends advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about gender inclusion, promote women's political roles, and include them in policy interventions at the community level, with a focus on education. Moreover, these findings contribute to the broader discourse on gender and political participation in developing societies and provide empirical evidence for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to strengthen democratic inclusion.
Khan et al. (Sat,) studied this question.