Empowering Deserving Women through Resilient Livelihood Strategies in Punjab, Pakistan: A Qualitative Analysis of Challenges, Empowerment, and Agricultural Innovations

Abstract

Women in rural Pakistan, particularly in South Punjab, continue to face persistent socio-economic vulnerabilities shaped by poverty, restrictive gender norms, and limited access to livelihood opportunities. This qualitative study explores how deserving and marginalized women navigate livelihood challenges and build resilience through empowerment processes and agricultural innovations. The objectives of the research are to investigate the systemic barriers confronting women in their agricultural and livelihood practices, to examine the multidimensional and contested nature of their empowerment experiences, and to analyze how agricultural innovation serves as a catalyst for both technical and social change. The study employs a rigorous qualitative methodology, involving thematic analysis of 30 in-depth interviews with women engaged in microfinance, vocational training, and agricultural programs across three districts of South Punjab. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed inductively to identify core patterns within participants’ narratives. The findings reveal a syndemic of interlocking constraints financial precarity, patriarchal resistance, and social stigma that synergistically limit women’s agency. Despite these barriers, empowerment emerges as a negotiated process, manifested through enhanced household decision-making, significant economic contribution, and a transformative ‘ripple effect’ within communities. Furthermore, the adoption of agricultural innovations, facilitated by institutional support, enables women to re-gender technical knowledge and strategically frame their work, acting as a potent site for socio-technical change. The study concludes that resilient livelihood strategies foster deep and sustainable empowerment only when integrated with gender-transformative approaches that simultaneously provide resources and reshape the socio-cultural terrain.

Keywords: Women's empowerment, resilient livelihoods, negotiated agency, agricultural innovation, patriarchal constraints, South Punjab, qualitative research.