Social Freedom and Occupational Aspirations as Correlate of Adolescent Girl’s Empowerment

Abstract

The present study was conducted to study the relationship between occupational aspiration, social freedom and girl’s empowerment on the 200 adolescent girls of Panipat district, Haryana. Three standardized tools viz; Women Social Freedom Scale, Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Scale and Occupational Aspiration Scale were used for the study. It was observed that rural and urban adolescent girls possessed same level of social freedom and occupational aspiration whereas the urban girls felt significantly more empowered in comparison to rural girls. 
Further, significant positive correlation was observed between social freedom, occupational aspiration and girls’ empowerment. Multiple regression results indicated that social freedom, occupational aspiration and location have predicted 6.8% variation of girls’ empowerment. Out of these three variables, location (rural or urban) was emerged as the most significant predictor of adolescent girls’ empowerment. The results of the study have helped in the understanding that the rural and urban adolescents differ in empowerment and the conditions of urban area 
favours empowerment of girls. Although, adolescent girls of both areas experience below average level of social freedom, means the girls’ freedom and occupational aspiration still need consideration in 21st century India, like any other developing country of the world.