Impact of women empowerment on rural development in Southern Punjab, Pakistan

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 Muzaffargarh of punjab province. The data from 120 female respondents have been collected. Different dimensions of women empowerment have been measured, using Ordinary Least Square method. The analysis found that self-esteem, the power of decision making and freedom of mobility 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.