A Survey on Female Employment and the Quality of Their Family Relationships in Mahabad, Iran (2017–2018)

Abstract

Abstract The primary objective of this descriptive survey is to examine the correlation between women’s employment and the quality of their family relationships in Mahabad, a Kurdish city in the northwest of Iran. This locale has distinct cultural norms and perspectives concerning female employment. The statistical sample consists of all married women aged between 20 and 60 years and employed within the urban areas of Mahabad from 2017 to 2018. This group encompasses a total of 2,995 individuals (N = 2995). Employing Cochran’s formula, the sample size was determined to be n = 350. Participants were selected through multi-stage clustering and systematic random sampling methodologies. Data were collected through a researcher-designed questionnaire, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient estimated at 0.89, indicating satisfactory reliability. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were employed for data analysis, including the chi-square test and percentage frequency distribution tables. The study’s central hypothesis was validated using the chi-square test at a 5% significance level. Consequently, the research findings substantiate that, within the context of Mahabad, employed women exhibit a higher quality of family relationships than their unemployed counterparts. Given the historically limited discourse on the circumstances of Kurdish women in smaller regions, and the prevailing tendency to focus primarily on the challenges faced by women at the lower strata of society, this research serves as a valuable contribution towards a more comprehensive understanding of the lives of this particular cohort of Kurdish women residing in the modest city of Mahabad. By delving into the dimensions of employment and the quality of their marital relationships, this study strives toward shedding light on the positive impacts of women’s participation on their family dynamics. The insights gleaned from this research hold the potential to serve as a model that can be extrapolated to benefit women in other regions across the Middle East in the future.