Female Participation in Housing Activities: Some Assessment of the Socio-economic and Cultural Impact

Abstract

The economic and social importance of shelter provision is universally wellestablished. For an individuaVfamily the acquisition of shelter is, on the basis of its financial magnitude, among the most critical economic decisions. This decision is usually permanent and in most cases made once-in-a-lifetime. The importance of housing decision is even more pronounced for women in Pakistan, as a vast majority of them are classified as 'housewives' and thus considered responsible for the up-keep of the house. The quality of housing, therefore, is taken as being reflective of their competence and, hence, social status. It is in view of the foregoing that one expects an extensive and willing participation of women in housing activities. However, a number of socio-economic and cultural factors constrain this participation. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact (positive and negative) of socio-economic and cultural factors upon female participation in housing activities in Pakistan. The study is divided into the following sections: Section I highlights the role of women in the housing activities, emphasising the types of participation, the nature of activities in which women generally participate and the various socio-cultural and economic factors which influence this participation. Section II presents the methodology and data. Section III contains the results and the conclusion.