Psychosocial Impacts of Childlessness on Married Women in District Lower Dir

Abstract

This paper examines the psychological effect of being childless among married women in District Lower Dir in Pakhtun society where motherhood and birth of sons features prominently in the social identity of women. The study is directed by the Social Stress Process Theory (SST) to identify the role of cultural expectations, gendered blame, and social pressures in causing emotional distress. A qualitative design was employed in which in depth interviews with 25 childless women aged 18-49 years in two Union Councils were held and a thematic analysis showed that they were sad, grieving, hopeless, anxious and inadequate supported by a sense of stigmatization and by the fear of losing their marriages. Regardless of these obstacles, there are examples of women who proved to be resilient with the help of meaning making, role redefinition and new non maternal acceptance. The study identifies a need of culturally appropriate interventions such as couple centered counseling, peer support, male involvement, and community based stigma reduction to assist the psychological well being of childless women in rural Pakistan.