Working and Nonworking Women’s Descriptions and Experiences of their Roles in Society
Salma Amin Rattani

Abstract
In a society both, men and women play a pivotal role and their roles may be defined based on their cultural values and societal norms. Understanding and conformity with these roles may be expected by both the genders. However, to limit the scope, this study aimed to explore working and nonworking women’s descriptions and experiences of their roles in society. A descriptive exploratory research design was used. After approval from ethics review committee, Aga Khan University, the data was gathered from women in three communities representing the low, middle and upper socioeconomic strata, in Karachi, Pakistan. The participants were selected by critical case sampling. The sampling was terminated once the saturation was achieved. The in-depth interviews were conducted by using the interview guide. Thirty-five women participated in the study. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings showed that the participants identified three main roles of women in a society. These roles are familial, financial supporter, and socio-political roles. Women’s experiences and feelings related to these roles had an impact on their quality of life.

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