A Quantitative Analysis of Science Students' Perceptions and Attitudes Towards the Aurat March: Exploring the Impact of Gender, Education, and Cultural Factors on Feminist Movements in Pakistan

Abstract

The study examines the attitude and perception of science students at Punjab University, Lahore, on the Aurat March and feminist movements in Pakistan. With a particular emphasis on the impact of academic discipline, cultural values, and religious beliefs, the research seeks to determine how these issues determine the opinions of students as to gender equality and their participation in feminist movements in a culturally conservative setting. The study was conducted on a sample of 250 students in the science, engineering and commerce departments in a quantitative research design with a structured questionnaire. The results indicate a major difference in the perception of the Aurat March and this is dependent on the academic discipline and the science students were found to be more neutral/skeptical in regard to their views than social science students. Also, the article indicates the influence of cultural and religious value on the student support of feminist movements, with the most conservative students showing protest. The findings also show that social media and exposure to feminist ideologies are also instrumental to the perceptions of students. This paper reinforces the power of education exposure and social discussion in determining the youth participation in gender justice movements and offers meaningful information about how gender equality can be better integrated into university programs to foster more inclusive views about feminism in Pakistan.