Final Year Project

Project Title

The Intersection of Cultural Norms with Socio-Economic Pressures to Shape the Prevalence of Early-Age Marriages in Punjabi Girls in Pakistan

Description

In Pakistan, patriarchal values and strict gender roles constrain women's autonomy, particularly in marriage decisions. These roles narrow girls' activities to childbearing and homemaking, frequently denying them education and career prospects. This research explores the influence of cultural pressures and socio-economic circumstances on the age and conditions of marriage among Punjabi girls, evaluating intergenerational changes. The theory postulates patriarchal traditions especially the baradari caste system and the desire for intra-family marriages to fuel early marriage, commodify girls, and mute their agency to maintain family honor. This quantitative research employs Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) data from 1991 2017 through IPUMS. Descriptive statistics and multivariate OLS regression to forecast marriage age were employed on key variables using STATA 18. Results indicate an increasing trend in marriage age among Punjabis, although intra-familial relationships continue to result in early marriages. A third-generation survey validated cultural influences such as dowry still affecting girls' education and development.