Abstract
Women’s empowerment has received substantial attention in gender studies, yet dominant measurement approaches remain largely Western-centric and may not fully capture the sociocultural realities of urban settings in South Asia. Addressing this gap, the present research develops and validates a contextually grounded measure of women's empowerment in Pakistan. Study 1 employed a qualitative design with 12 participants (7 women, 5 men; aged 25–45) representing diverse demographic backgrounds. Thematic analysis identified seven interrelated dimensions that shape empowerment in the South Asian context: Personal Autonomy and Emotional Strength, Educational and Knowledge Enhancement, Economic Impact and Independence, Overcoming Structural Barriers, Legal Frameworks and Policies, Family and Community Support, and Cultural and Social Liberation. Based on these insights, a 28-item scale was developed. Study 2 involved a survey of 297 participants from Pakistan with varied gender, age, education, and occupational backgrounds to validate the proposed measure. Results confirmed the multidimensional structure and provided empirical support for the contextual relevance of these seven dimensions. This research contributes to gender scholarship by offering a culturally sensitive and empirically validated instrument for assessing women's empowerment in South Asia, with implications for future research, policy formulation, and targeted intervention design.