Women in lowest income group stratum are the worst sufferers because they are entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of family members and also managing household. For this study, three research questions were constructed. The sample comprised of low-income women workers living in the slums of ‘Rehri Goth’, near Korangi, Karachi City situated at the coastal belt of Sindh Pakistan. The people living in this area are engaged in menial jobs, fisheries related petty business, working as skilled/unskilled laborers on daily wages, household servants and so on. Generally they survive on very low incomes which are unstable. Their lives are full of uncertainties and hardships. A sample of 154 women was selected. The investigator interviewed the women, with the help of a structured questionnaire. This was done to gain their independent and unbiased responses. Since it was difficult to locate these women and to get consent from them, help of an NGO was taken to find a key-person in the locality that could facilitate the data-collection by identifying the required participants. Approximately 45 minutes were spent in interviewing one individual. The study revealed that a number of women have become aware about legal acts, programs and schemes, and many needs to enhance their personal skills, life skills and training skills to tackle various problems. The findings indicate that women can be empowered socially if they are provided with the opportunity to participate, take decisions and manage things.
Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, educational, gender, or economic strength of individuals and communities ‘Social economics’ may refer broadly to the "use of economics in the study of society. More narrowly, contemporary practice considers behavioral interactions of individuals and groups through social capital and social "markets" (not excluding for example, sorting by marriage) and the formation of social norms A gender role is a set of social and behavioral norms that are generally considered appropriate for either a man or a woman Broadly, social vulnerability is one dimension of vulnerability to multiple stressors and shocks, including abuse, social exclusion and natural hazards ‘Deprivation’ refers to unmet need due to a lack of resources, so when referring to ‘environmental deprivation’ means the absence of physical environmental conditions that can contribute to good health and well-being (e.g., clean air and water) Rehri Goth, 24° 48′54" N, 67° 13′51" E, a 300 years old site, is one of the neighbourhoods of Bin Qasim Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Rehri is located on the Arabian Sea coast and has large a community of fishermen. There are several ethnic groups in Bin Qasim Town including Urdu speakers, Punjabis, Sindhis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochs, Memons, Bohras, Ismailis. Over 99% of the population is Muslim. The population of Bin Qasim Town is estimated to be nearly one million.
