Study at a Glance
A school-based endline survey evaluating the Empowering Girls programme across urban schools in Pakistan. The study measures changes in gender norms, safety perceptions, academic aspirations, and psychological wellbeing among Grade 8 students — with separate instruments for boys and girls using validated psychometric scales and Randomised Response Technique (RRT) for sensitive items.
Girls Outperform Boys Academically
Girls averaged 54.2% in Grade 7 compared to 44.7% for boys — a 9.5 percentage-point gap indicating stronger academic performance among girls.
Girls Report Lower Safety on Commute
Girls rate commuting to school as less safe (2.85/4) compared to boys (3.16/4), reflecting gendered safety disparities in the school journey.
80% of Girls Modify Behaviour
16 out of 20 girls report sometimes or always changing their clothing due to safety concerns in their neighbourhood or on route to school.
Girls Show Higher Self-Efficacy
Girls score higher on self-efficacy items 1 and 2, particularly in ability to think of solutions and belief they can handle challenges.
Sample Composition — Boys vs Girls
Outcome Index Radar — Boys vs Girls
Academic Performance — Grade 7 %
Safety Perceptions — Mean Scores
Educational Aspirations
Data collected April 6–7, 2026 via SurveyCTO digital CAPI survey. Both boys and girls instruments included validated psychometric scales (PQL, Self-Efficacy, CBT, Impulse Control, CSD) and Randomised Response Technique (RRT/garbling) for sensitive harassment measures. Study design and analysis by Research Solutions (M&A Research Solutions LLC) | www.rs.org.pk
Student Demographics & Family Background
Who are the students in this study? Age distribution, household composition, parental education and occupation, language spoken at home, and household asset ownership — painting a comprehensive picture of the socioeconomic context.
Father's Education Level
Mother's Education Level
Father's Occupation
Mother's Occupation
Household Asset Ownership
Language Spoken at Home
Education levels: 1=None/Primary, 2=Middle (Grades 6–8), 3=Matric (Grade 10), 4=Intermediate (Grade 12), 5=Bachelors, 6=Masters/Post-Graduate. Occupation codes: 1=Government Employee, 2=Private Employee, 3=Self-Employed/Business, 8=Homemaker.
Academic Performance & Aspirations
Student academic outcomes from Grade 7 (preceding year), school attendance patterns, barriers to education, and educational aspirations — examining the gender gap in both current performance and future ambitions.
Grade 7 Score Distribution
Educational Aspirations
Absence Days Distribution
Academic Performance Band Comparison
Academic performance data based on student self-report of Grade 7 percentage scores. Aspirations coded as: Matric=Grade 10, Intermediate=Grade 12, Bachelors=Undergraduate, Masters=Postgraduate, Professional=Doctor/Engineer/Lawyer or equivalent professional degree.
Safety Perceptions & Mobility
How safe do students feel commuting to school, in their school neighbourhood, and at home? How do girls navigate safety concerns through behavioural adaptations? This panel explores the gendered dimensions of safety and mobility for urban school students.
Safety Perception — Detailed Distribution
School Commute Mode
Travel Time to School
Girls' Safety Behaviour Modifications
Safety scale: 1=Not safe at all, 2=Not very safe, 3=Somewhat safe, 4=Very safe. Behaviour modification scale: 1=Always, 2=Sometimes, 3=Rarely, 4=Never. Travel times self-reported by students. Boys' school: School #141 (50 students enrolled Grade 7); Girls' school: 35–49 students enrolled.
Gender Norms & Harassment Attitudes
Measuring gender norm endorsement among students using a validated 4-item scale covering household roles, education access, working mothers, and women's safety. Also captures bystander attitudes toward harassment and blame attribution — a core outcome of the Empowering Girls programme.
Gender Norms Scale — Mean Scores
Gender Norms — Response Distributions
Harassment — Witnessing Experiences
Blame Attribution — Whose Fault?
Gender norms scale: 1=Strongly Disagree, 5=Strongly Agree. Items: G2="Girls should focus on household tasks"; G3="Education is equally important for boys and girls" (reverse-coded); G5="Children suffer when mothers work"; G6="Women need male protection to be safe". Blame scale: 1=Completely victim's fault through 5=Completely perpetrator's fault.
Psychological Wellbeing & Self-Efficacy
Student psychological outcomes measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life (PQL) scale across five dimensions — mood, learning, friendships, family, and overall life quality — alongside a 3-item self-efficacy scale assessing students' belief in their capacity to handle challenges.
PQL Wellbeing Scale — Mean Scores
Self-Efficacy Scale — Boys vs Girls
PQL Item Distribution — Girls
PQL Item Distribution — Boys
PQL Scale: Items ask how often each applies in the past month (1=Never, 2=Almost Never, 3=Sometimes, 4=Often, 5=Almost Always). Self-Efficacy Scale: 3-point agreement scale (1=Disagree, 2=Neutral, 3=Agree). Higher scores indicate better outcomes on both scales.
Boys' Module — Masculinity, Impulse Control & Peer Pressure
The boys' instrument includes three additional scales not administered to girls: a 5-item Masculinity Norms scale, an 8-item Impulse Control assessment, and a 3-item Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) cognitions scale measuring thought flexibility. Peer pressure susceptibility was also measured across 3 items.
Masculinity Norms Scale — Boys (n=25)
Masculinity Norms — Response Distributions
Impulse Control — Boys (n=25)
CBT Cognitions & Peer Pressure — Boys
Masculinity Norms: 5-item scale measuring traditional masculine role endorsement (1=Strongly Disagree, 5=Strongly Agree). Impulse Control: 8-item scale (1=Never, 5=Always); higher scores on positive items indicate better self-regulation. CBT scale: 4-point scale measuring cognitive thought patterns. Peer Pressure: 4-point scale (1=Never agree, 4=Always agree). Boys only (n=25).
Girls' Module — Mobility, Household Time & Harassment Response
The girls' instrument includes an extended 7-day activity diary, household time-use measures, and detailed harassment response and reporting modules. This panel examines girls' daily mobility patterns, time burden of household tasks, and their strategies for navigating and reporting harassment experiences.
Girls' Daily Household Time Use
Safety Behaviour Modifications — Frequency
Harassment Reporting — Who Would Girls Tell?
Verbal Harassment Witnessed — Girls vs Boys
Clothing Modification
80% of girls sometimes or always change what they wear due to safety concerns — the most common behavioural adaptation reported.
Timing Adaptation
65% of girls sometimes or always change what time they travel — avoiding certain hours perceived as less safe for female movement.
Route Changes
65% of girls sometimes or always change their route to school — adding time and distance to avoid perceived danger spots.
Safety Awareness
55% of girls (code 1+2 on identify_escape) actively identify escape routes or safety strategies when in public — a key programme skill.
Girls' module data (n=20). Household time use measured in approximate daily hours. Harassment sharing variables: 0=No, 1=Yes — respondents could select multiple people they would tell. Reporting: 1=Yes would report, 2=No. Behaviour modification: 1=Always, 2=Sometimes, 3=Rarely, 4=Never. RRT (garbling) used for sensitive harassment items to protect respondent anonymity.