Lahore: An extensive survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan has unveiled that a vast majority of ever-married women in Punjab lack exposure to traditional media, with only 4.3% engaging with print and a mere 1.4% reading newspapers weekly. According to Gallup Pakistan’s analysis of the Punjab Health and Population Survey (PHPS) 2024-25, which gathered data from 19,536 ever-married women aged 15-49 across 36 districts, traditional media such as newspapers and radio have minimal reach among this demographic.
According to the report, a staggering 96% of these women do not read newspapers, with 65.5% never having read one and 30.3% unable to read at all. Radio has similarly limited reach, with 97.9% never tuning in. Television remains the only traditional medium with substantial reach, watched weekly by 36.0% of women, although 43.6% never watch it. The report highlights literacy as a significant barrier, with 30.3% of ever-married women unable to read, a figure rising to 38.9% in rural areas.
In contrast, mobile phones and internet access have shown a broader reach. The analysis reports that 44.0% of ever-married women own mobile phones, with ownership higher in urban areas (57.8%) compared to rural areas (34.4%). Internet access stands at 37.9%, predominantly via mobile phones. The data reflects a stark contrast in media consumption, suggesting that mobile phones have surpassed traditional media as the primary channel for reaching this population.
Gallup Pakistan’s Big Data series, initiated by Executive Director Bilal I. Gilani, aims to bridge the gap in data accessibility and its translation into understanding. The PHPS Digital Analytics dashboard, part of this series, provides a detailed breakdown of media exposure, mobile phone ownership, and internet access across different districts and education levels in Punjab. This district-level analysis reveals significant variations, with mobile phone ownership ranging from 68.1% in Sialkot to 13.5% in Rajanpur.
Education emerges as a more robust predictor of media access than geographic location. Mobile phone ownership rises dramatically with education level, from 18.8% among women with no education to 81.1% among those with higher education. This trend underscores the importance of considering educational disparities in communication strategies targeted at ever-married women in Punjab.
The findings suggest that for effective communication, strategies should prioritize mobile platforms, which not only have the broadest reach but also highlight the significant education gap in access. This approach contrasts sharply with traditional media channels, which have limited coverage among the female population in Punjab.