Gender Differences in Political Participation in District Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

This study examines gender differences in political participation across multiple forms of engagement, including voting, political campaigns, strikes, and boycotts, and analyzes how socio-economic and demographic factors shape these patterns. The central objective is to understand whether gender gaps in participation are uniform or vary depending on the nature, cost, and risk level of political activity. Drawing on established theories of political participation, particularly the civic voluntarism model and resource-based approaches, the study considers key explanatory variables including age, education, employment status, economic status, and marital status.

The study employs a quantitative research design using regression analysis to estimate the effects of independent variables on different forms of political participation separately for men and women. This comparative approach allows for the identification of both shared and gender-specific determinants of participation, as well as variation in explanatory strength across participation types.

The findings reveal a pattern of gender disparities across forms of participation. Gender gaps are minimal in low-cost and institutionalized activities such as voting and boycotts, moderate in campaign participation, and most pronounced in high-risk, confrontational activities such as strikes and protests. Regression results further show that while employment and economic status generally increase participation for both genders, the effects of education, age, and marital status differ significantly between men and women and across participation types. Men’s participation is more strongly driven by education and employment in several contexts, whereas women’s participation is more sensitive to age, marital status, and especially economic empowerment. In high-risk activities, structural constraints disproportionately reduce women’s participation, while in low-cost activities these differences narrow considerably.

The study concludes that gender inequality in political participation is shaped less by interest or awareness and more by structural and resource-based constraints that vary with the type of political engagement. Accordingly, it recommends strengthening women’s economic empowerment, improving the translation of education into political engagement, ensuring workplace flexibility, and creating safer and more inclusive environments for women in public political activities such as campaigns and protests. These measures are essential for reducing gender gaps and promoting more inclusive and equitable democratic participation across all forms of political action.