Psychosocial Experiences of Spinster Women in Pakistan

Abstract

This paper examined the psychosocial life of spinster women in Pakistan. The researcher used exploratory qualitative design by selecting a sample of eight unmarried women, who were selected by purposive sampling techniques. The demographic information sheet and a semi-structured interview protocol were used to collect the data. Thematic analysis was used to find out the theme, subtheme and code. The data produced five significant themes, namely, the present social life, the concept of singleness, the way society perceives unmarried women, dependency experiences and coping strategies. These themes bring out the issues of social stigma, emotional issues, and cultural pressures on unmarried women in an Asian cultural society. The research highlights the importance of increased social awareness, psychological support and empowerment programs in order to improve the general well-being of the unmarried females in Pakistan.