Fathers as Agents of Change: Navigating Patriarchy and Female University Education in a Shifting Landscape

This study explores the nuanced roles of fathers in promoting or constraining their daughters’ pursuit of university education within the deeply rooted patriarchal context of rural Punjab, Pakistan. Adopting an interpretive phenomenological approach, the study conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with ۳۰ fathers who have facilitated their daughters’ higher education, selected through purposive sampling to ensure diverse socio-economic representation. The findings reveal a multidimensional negotiation of patriarchal norms, where fathers simultaneously challenge, transition, and recreate traditional gender structures through their educational decisions. Three major themes emerged: (۱) challenging patriarchy through educational empowerment and advocacy for gender equality; (۲) a transitional patriarchy driven by pragmatic economic considerations and shifting social aspirations; and (۳) the recreation of patriarchy through the strategic modification of gender roles and controlled empowerment. These findings underscore the complex interplay between local cultural values and evolving social ideals. This study provides critical insights for policymakers, suggesting that interventions must move beyond “empowerment” rhetoric to address the specific socio-economic anxieties fathers face. Furthermore, educators are encouraged to implement community-based dialogues that engage fathers not as obstacles, but as key stakeholders in sustaining long-term female educational attainment in conservative settings.

کلیدواژه ها:

Female Higher Education ، Patriarchy ، Interpretive Research ، gender equality ، social change