01 Empowerment Higher Education Nexus: Women Celebrating Change in Hunza

Abstract

This study was conducted with the aim to explore the factors that motivate young women in Hunza to seek education at tertiary level in various universities across the country. The purpose was also to examine the resources that facilitate women’s access to higher education. Qualitative research design was used to investigate the phenomenon. In-depth interviews were taken from ten women who were selected by using purposive sampling method. The women respondents originally belonged to Hunza but they worked in various organizations in different capacities in Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad. The study illustrates that the greatest motivation for the women to acquire higher education was the desire for emancipation. The women wanted to reduce dependence on men and they believed education was the only route to achieve this desire. The findings also highlight that the greatest support for women’s education came from their parents.