CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF FEMALE EMPLOYEES UNDER SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS IN BALOCHISTAN

Due to sociocultural and tribal barriers that are still difficult to overcome, women in Balochistan struggle mightily to find employment and support their families. They experience workplace harassment as well as anxieties. Women in Balochistan struggle to find stable employment opportunities. 96% of educated women are unemployed. The culture and tribal traditions of Balochistan demonstrate the violent domination of men in many spheres of life. The main goal of this research study is to evaluate the work performance of female workers in light of socioeconomic and cultural constraints. For the current investigation, the descriptive, analytical, and exploratory methodologies as well as a mixed study design (qualitative and quantitative) were used. The researcher conducted focus groups and six individual interviews with a sample of 400 respondents in the cities of Khuzdar, Zhob, and Quetta. Personal interviews, focus groups, and surveys were used to gather primary data. Secondary data was gathered from books, research papers, magazines, newspaper articles, and other sources, such as research articles. Using convenience sampling procedures, 400 questionnaires with closed-ended questions on a five-point Likert scale were created for quantitative data and given to the selected respondents in accordance with the study's objectives. Purposive or judgmental sampling strategies were utilized for qualitative data. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), which is accurate and dependable for data analysis, was used to examine the data.


Introduction
According to history, women have always collaborated with men in the workplace, from the Stone Age to the current era of enlightenment. In any event, they make just as much of a contribution to society as men do. Despite their immeasurable contributions, women still do not have the same social position as men in the workforce or elsewhere. The development and growth goals cannot be met without the right contributions of men and women. In every part of the world, women have just as much potential as men. Women are able to perform every task that males can do more effectively (Soomro and Aziz, 2015). Men and women are the two main support members of every community. The equally important contributions of men and women are necessary for all communities to advance quickly. In Pakistan, women make up more than 50% of the population. But in much of the nation, particularly in rural regions, the social condition of women is really deplorable. They receive the same treatment as slaves and animals. The social position of women cannot be measured in absolute terms. But parents', family members', and other societal members' perspectives may be used to gauge how well-off women are in society. Social standing of women is considered admirable when they are treated properly and with the same respect as males by their families, friends, and other members of society. Contrarily, women's social standing is described as wretched when they are treated as pets, mistreated as slaves, or as minorities (Panhwar et al, 2017, p. 17). Parents and other family members have come to the realization that without the involvement of women in the socioeconomic spheres, they cannot advance. Due to growing inflation and pressure from globalization, the proportion of women participating in the labour force has significantly grown (Cheema and Yasmeen 2003). Extremist and biased actors, who can be found in every part of Pakistan, keep the country's women in a low social and economic position. In the guise of culture, traditions, and values created by humans, they have placed some limitations on the social and economic mobility of women. Because of this, there has never been a time when more women than males participate in the labour field. The statistics on women's employment opportunities are particularly depressing. Compared to males, who make up 70% of the labour force, women only make up 14% of it since the most recent decays, the trend has significantly shifted (Azid, Khan and Alamasi, 2010).

Background of the Study
Due to sociocultural and tribal barriers, which are still difficult to remove, women in Balochistan struggle greatly to find employment and support their families. Additionally to occupational harassment, they have anxieties. Females in Balochistan struggle to find stable employment opportunities. Similar findings from research studies show that 96% of educated women are unemployed. Males brutally dominate all facets of life in Balochistan, as evidenced by both tribal customs and cultural traditions. The fact that Balochistan has always been a patriarchal society makes it clear why it has been so difficult for women to overcome the enormous obstacles they face when working or pursuing careers in top administrative or managerial roles. Women in Balochistan who, in one way or another, have found employment opportunities and are engaged in a variety of occupations are undoubtedly dealing with organizational, domestic, and sociocultural issues. They encounter significant challenges, such as having to care for the children and being barred from employment because they are married women.

Problem Statement
This research attempts to investigate how well women succeed at work in Balochistan despite socioeconomic and cultural constraints. This specific research study has a highly distinctive and different background, thus it calls for special attention and a serious effort to investigate and emphasize the critical issues connected to the significant as well as unique challenges faced by working women. The main factor affecting the economic prosperity of nations worldwide is the involvement of women in the workforce. It is regrettable that Pakistan has far lower rates of female engagement in economic activities than other nations. The territory of Balochistan which is about 43% of the country and has a very low population, regretfully the ratio of working women in Balochistan has been quite small comparing with other parts of the state. However, the public and private sectors present terrible issues and difficulties for Balochistan's working women. The government, non-governmental organizations, and the society as a whole must all play their respective roles in assisting and eliminating the critical issues faced by working women.

Research Questions
1. Why do working women encounter significant challenges in their homes and communities? 2. Why do working women experience harassment, abuse, and discrimination based on their gender at work? 3. What are the elements affecting working women's performance in their jobs?
1.5 Objective of the Study 1. To comprehend the working environment and its impact on the productivity of female employees in Balochistan. 2. To investigate how family attitudes regarding female employees affect their success at work.

Literature Review
Martin and Barnard talked about the difficulties women have in the workplace when males predominate, as opposed to when there is a balance between the sexes. Male authority figures foster a hostile climate against women. Traditional gender roles discourage women from entering the workforce and reinforce men's dominance there. The terms and circumstances surrounding the selection of personnel in any firm and the current male-dominated culture are influenced by the assigned gender roles of men and women in society. The way that organizations are set up promotes male dominance and empowers men over women (Martin & Barnard, 2013). Every person in society must have equal access to employment possibilities without gender discrimination for those with the necessary qualifications. The foundation for boosting the country's economic development and achieving the millennium development objectives to fight poverty is the workforce of organizations. A person's feeling of self-worth is boosted by having a job, which also serves as a means of supporting a better standard of living. Therefore, organizations must implement policies free of gender bias. Additionally, research has shown that consistent income for women benefits both the home and the nation. In 2007, there were 75.8 million more women unemployed than there are today, according to the International Labor Organization's 2013 study. A worldwide economic catastrophe results from this situation (International Labor Office, 2014). There is economic injustice against women at work and the gender wage gap across the world. Women are unlikely to favor professions where men predominate. They are viewed as being less skilled than male employees. Women are a minority demographic in the workplace. One who works in a non-supportive setting is a member of a minority group (Cifre, et al, 2015;Adeeba, et al, 2021). Men are seen to have better organizational management abilities than women at work, according to a widely held belief. Organizations place a higher priority on individual professional talents than on societal norms. Women in society are recognized to possess soft talents, which have an impact on working women's career paths in a workplace where males predominate. The ability of women to advance their careers at work is facilitated by their soft skills (Kato & Kodama, 2017). In the workplace, gender discrimination against women is actively fueled by a number of reasons. Cultural biases and gender stereotypes portray women as being incapable of holding important jobs. Women are underrepresented in the selection process for top posts, according to several researches. Organizations believe that male employees are more competent and skilled than female employees (Zenger & Folkman, 2019). The various sets of labour have been seen differently by men and women. They thus treat people differently. Women are viewed as inferior to males. According to the principle of the division of labour, men were supposed to provide for the household's needs while women stayed at home to care for the home. In addition, women lack access to adequate healthcare, educational opportunities, and decision-making authority. Due to cultural, traditional, and religious norms, women in Pakistan encounter obstacles. Women who forget to obtain an education in Pakistan cannot work outside the home due to the poverty and inflation there. Despite the high rate of female illiteracy, educated women are nevertheless playing an active part in the work field (Sadaquat, 2011;Abdullah, Shoukat & Chaudhary, 2021). Males prevail on the labour market in general. Due to the discrepancy in educational options for women in Pakistan, women do not have equal access to jobs. The education of women does not interest families. Less women are able to pursue higher-level, more technical, and career-focused education (Nasir et al., 2020).

Research Methodology
Due to the sensitive nature of this research study, descriptive, analytical, and exploratory types of research methodologies have been employed for the current study in order to explain, evaluate, and explore the severe challenges faced by female employees in Balochistan with real data. For the current study, a mix of both (qualitative and quantitative) research designs was employed in order to address the major problems faced by female employees in Balochistan. The researcher used a combination of primary and secondary sources to get the data for this study. Due to the challenges of conducting the survey and interviews across the entirety of Balochistan, a convenience sampling (non-probability sampling) of 400 respondents from Quetta, Khuzdar, and Zhob city was selected to gather quantitative data using a structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. The scholar received 385 readable and usable questionnaires out of the total 400. In order to analyze the data for this research study, SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) was employed. The great majority of respondents, 297 (or 77%), said they are very content with how well they are doing at work and that their performance is above average for the departments in which they work. 51 respondents, or 13%, are dissatisfied with how they are performing at work in their particular areas. 37 respondents, or 10% of the total, also expressed neutrality toward the statement. Out of all responses, 330 (86%) were in the great majority dissatisfied with the working conditions in their various departments or places of employment, and they do feel that the working conditions of their workplaces are not as excellent as they would want. Nevertheless, 40 respondents, or roughly 10%, are happy with the workplace conditions in their particular departments. 15 respondents, or 4% of the total, also expressed no opinion about the statement. Out of the total responses, 350, the great majority (nearly) (100%) agreed and stated that cultural issues do effect their work performances. 14 respondents, or 4%, disagree with this assertion and claim that cultural issues have no real impact on their ability to execute their jobs. In a similar vein, 21 respondents (or 5% of the total) expressed no opinion on the statement. The majority of respondents, 290, or 75.4% of the total, disagreed with the statement and said that they were unable to freely choose and do their job in the manner they wished at their individual companies. 40 respondents, or 10.4%, do, however, believe that they have the freedom to choose their own paths and carry out their own agendas within their individual departments. Out of total responses, the great majority 367, (95.3%) were not happy about the attitudes of their colleagues and claimed that the attitudes of their colleagues were not favorable towards them. However, 10 respondents (2.6%) did agree that their coworkers had a favorable attitude toward them. Out of all responses, the majority of 288 (74.8%) agreed with the assertion and acknowledged that their work definitely impose family obligations. However, 70 respondents (18.2%) disagreed with the claim. The majority of respondents, 200 (52%) indicated that their husband's actions has never been in any way supportive of their employment. 80 respondents, or 21%, indicated that they agreed with the assertion and chose "yes."

Qualitative Data Analysis
Women's job is still seen differently in the tribal population of Balochistan today. In Balochistan, there is no educational gap between men and women in any way. Women have demonstrated their abilities in a variety of professions, and they are involved in a number of others. A doctor, teacher, or any other career along those lines is respected for women. Women continue to be underrepresented in many profitable industries despite educational advancements. For working women, there is no reliable transportation in cities. A lady waiting for a bus to take her to any school, college, or business finds that suddenly, guys are around her. Numerous terrible stories involving working women may be found in Balochistan's tribal community. There have been numerous instances of sexual harassment of female teachers and students in a number of schools in the provincial capital Quetta. In one such incident, female teachers and students were made the targets of sexual harassment by the head of a government school, which led to many of them leaving the institution. In a different instance, a female teacher went to the principal's office for an urgent task, and while she was there, the clerk attempted to shake her hand and made lewd gestures. The female teacher immediately took appropriate action and reported this to the principle, but the principal took no action against the concerned clerk and instead made the female teacher remain silent or suffer the terrible consequences.

Conclusion
Unfortunately, Balochistan's social attitudes on working women are dangerous. In our culture, a woman is typically referred to as and regarded as a sensitive gender. A lady who is seen as the decoration of the home is frequently thought to only look nice within certain restrictions. In patriarchal countries, a woman's role is to take care of the home, have children, and maintain her appearance. She is also compelled to avoid dealing with life's social and financial problems. When a woman goes out in quest of job in a nation like Pakistan, where domestic abuse, poverty, hardship, and inflation are pervasive, she must deal with a number of difficult issues. In Balochistan, women are still subjected to torture in the guise of tradition, honour, and religion. Since educated and talented women are the future of Pakistan, this must end and women must be granted their equal rights in terms of access to basic education and work prospects.

Recommendations
1. It is crucial for employees to feel safe and completely pleased in their individual departments in order for them to perform exceptionally well in their areas. Therefore, it is necessary for all institutions to provide a welcoming environment for their staff members so that they can contribute significantly to the achievement of organizational goals. 2. Establishing a fair and impartial merit system for its employees to receive the proper promotions and career goals is crucial for the efficient operation of the firm. The performance of the companies and the performance of the workers will both be impacted if the employees in the various organizations are not happy with their advancement. 3. It is necessary to provide women the ability to make decisions so they may freely choose how they want to act and conduct themselves in their individual offices and workplaces, as well as at home, of course. Their morale and confidence will increase as a result. 4. It is crucial for employees to be content with their job responsibilities and titles as outlined by the companies' laws and regulations if they are to perform exceptionally well in their divisions. The unneeded interruption has a significant negative impact on how well people perform at work. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to provide a setting where work interruptions that aren't required are eliminated in order to ensure efficient operations. 5. It is undeniably true that negative attitudes from coworkers negatively impact how well employees perform in their departments. As a result, it is crucial for institutions and organizations to establish strict rules and regulations to prevent employees from acting badly toward one another and to foster an equitable workplace for all workers.