Abstract
Women in Pakistan have social problems in the way of acquiring higher education in many parts of the country. Distance Education (DE) system performs major role in providing higher educational to those who are unable to access the educational facilities because of any personal or cultural constraints or because of living in deprived areas. Because of the policies of Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, distance education has its legal recognition in Pakistan like other parts of the world. Therefore, women in Pakistan are also enjoying benefits of this system to boost up their educational position in cases where they feel unable to attend the formal institutions. The aim of current study was to discover the reasons that incline women to study through distance education system rather than attending the formal institutions with rural and urban differences. This study was conducted following the survey method using a sample of 410 women from Southern Punjab in Pakistan. Tool of study was a questionnaire on 5-point rating scale. Data was analysed using mean scores and t test statistics. Results indicated that females adopted this system due to flexibility in its procedures. They were happy that they continued their studies along with performing their social and domestic responsibilities. Distance education provided chance to women to struggle for the uplift of their career without disrespecting their family values and disturbing customs of their families in Pakistan.
Keyword(s)
Distance education, women education, Women Empowerment, Education