STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS OF MARITAL CONFLICT AND DIVORCE AMONG WORKING WOMEN IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN: A MIXED‑METHODS STUDY

Abstract

Objective:     To identify the strongest predictors of marital conflict and divorce among working women in Punjab, Pakistan, focusing on in‑law interference, work‑family conflict, and financial independence. A sequential explanatory mixed‑methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected from 486 working women across five urban centers of Punjab using a structured questionnaire (Cronbach’s α: In‑Law Interference 0.901; Work Stress 0.887). Qualitative data comprised 20 in‑depth semi‑structured interviews with divorced working women. Hierarchical linear regression, Pearson correlations, and thematic analysis were applied. In‑law interference was the strongest predictor of marital conflict (β = 0.614, p < 0.001), explaining 46.8% of the variance alone. Work stress was the second strongest predictor (β = 0.311, p < 0.001). Financial independence was not significant in the final model (β = 0.074, p = 0.132). Qualitatively, 80% of interviewees cited in‑law interference as a primary cause of divorce; joint family residence correlated with divorce (r = 0.412, p < 0.001). Higher education was associated with higher divorce rates (χ² = 12.44, p = 0.014). Male unemployment (47.5% divorce rate among unemployed respondents) and digital infidelity (25% of interviews) emerged as hidden drivers. Marital conflict among working women in Punjab is driven not by women’s financial independence but by structural factors – primarily in‑law interference and work‑family conflict. Policies should enforce women’s Islamic right to separate housing, mandate workplace flexibility, and address male unemployment.  

Keywords:  In‑law interference, divorce, working women, joint family, Punjab, Pakistan.