Problems Faced by Pakistani Women Engineers in Workplace

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

This area will try to generalize the basic idea of what problems are faced by Pakistani women engineers in their workplace. This area will give a general preliminary literature about the topic and will come up with the aims and objectives along with research queries. The significance of the topic will also be in discussion here.

Background of the study

Engineering in Pakistan is one of those fields that is generally dominated by male workers. AdeelAnjum, Khan, Raza, & Fatima, (2012) points out that women make about the 48% of total population in Pakistan but unfortunately, even in this era, women are generally treated as lower level citizens. Education is the fundamental right of every citizen and as such is a birthright of women. But as in all the fields of study, there is still a gender inequality present that prevents these women to pursue their dreams in science and technology (Sarwar, & Abbasi, (2013). Still, many women strive hard for their rights and land themselves in areas that are thought to be only available for men. Some call it illiteracy and some call it pure insecurity, but women in engineering subjects are told to be not competent enough to handle the pressures of the fieldwork.

Malik & Courtney, (2011) identifies that many times these women somehow manage to gain their place in such discipline, they always face difficulty and the challenge to survive in such work becomes all the more problematic for them. Some of the most general problems that these women face are the gender inequality issues, harassment, lower wages as compared to men on similar positions, general biases and stereotypes towards working women and the most prominent among them is the treatment of society itself. According to a survey by Ali et.al (2011) in studying the field related workplaces in Pakistan, it was identified that in accordance with intelligence, Pakistan has a society based on a “fixed mindset” factor due to which it becomes almost impossible for a woman in pursuing their dreams and stand toe to toe with their opposite sex. Such beliefs make them less confident toward adopting engineering and mathematical based subjects as they deem themselves incompetent towards achieving it.

Research Objectives

In accordance with the preliminary literature stated above, the objective of this investigative study is to point out the general physical, mental and moral challenges that the working women in the engineering