Gender Discrimination and Personal Growth Initiative in Pakistan: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Present study explored the role of personal growth initiative to mitigate the impact of perceived gender discrimination on empowerment among Pakistani women (N = 621; Mean age 30.65; SD = 6.68). The main research objectives were to see the direction and predictive natures of variables and to investigate that personal growth initiative moderates the indirect relation of gender role attitudes and women empowerment mediated by perceived gender discrimination among adult women. This study involved the purposive sampling technique on a survey method and data were collected on the selfreporting questionnaires. Results showed: (1) significant negative association of perceived gender discrimination with modern gender role attitudes, personal growth initiative and women empowerment, (2) significant positive association between modern gender role attitudes, personal growth initiative and women empowerment, (3) perceived gender discrimination mediated the relationship between gender role attitudes and women empowerment, (4) personal growth initiative moderated the relationship between perceived gender discrimination and empowerment, (5) personal growth initiative moderated the indirect paths of mediation achieved by perceived gender discrimination on the relationship between gender role attitudes and women empowerment. These findings highlighted two crucial implications concerning Asian collectivistic culture and patriarchal norms. First was that the gender role attitudes shaped the discriminatory perception of women which consequently impacted their empowerment struggle. Second and the most centring feature that constructs such as women's personal growth initiative played a protective role as a buffer and resilient feature to cope with discrimination and to enhance overall empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]