MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS OF POLITICAL AWARENESS AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN THE PUNJAB, PAKISTAN: A CASE OF REGISTERED VOTERS

Abstract

This study investigates the role of factors that motivate political awareness among rural women in Punjab, Pakistan. It is observed that women residing in villages acquire political awareness through several means i.e., their family income and wealth, family background, power and authority in family decisions, and information about political party manifestos and political campaigns. Any variation in these factors affects their political behavior accordingly. The conclusions of this study are based on the data collected for the Ph.D. dissertation, from December 2021 to March 2022. Following a cross-sectional quantitative research design, a well-structured questionnaire was developed and pretested before final data collection. A total of 1382 registered women voters responded out of the 1500 selected sample. The structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique was applied to measure the direct, and indirect effect and covariation among study variables. Results revealed that the independent variables; income and wealth, family background, power, and authority, directly and indirectly, trigger political awareness among registered women voters in rural Punjab, Pakistan. The study outcome further confirmed that political party manifesto and political campaign knowledge facilitate the effects of independent variables. Keywords: Political Campaign, Political Manifesto, Power and Authority, Political Awareness, Rural Women.