# “Mother in the making”: Motherhood performativity of childless women in rural Pakistan

## TL;DR

This study explores how childless women in rural Pakistan perform motherhood to combat social stigma and conform to societal expectations.

## Contribution

The study applies Butler’s performativity theory to analyze how childless women navigate societal pressures to become mothers.

## Key findings

- Childless women must demonstrate mothering qualities to validate their desire for motherhood.
- Societal discourses influence childless women's adherence to gendered norms of motherhood.
- Women seek treatment while performing motherhood to combat stigma.

## Abstract

Motherhood is socially obligatory in rural Punjabi, Pakistan, leaving no room for voluntary childlessness. Women facing conception challenges strive to attain motherhood, combating the stigma of being labelled childless. Using Butler’s performativity theory, this study delves into the experiences of childless women striving to become mothers in the pronatalist society of Pakistan. In-depth interviews with childless women and focus group discussions with community members were conducted. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis. Results revealed that women must demonstrate mothering qualities alongside seeking treatment to validate their desire for motherhood. The study concludes that societal discourses shape childless women’s lives, influencing their conscious and unconscious adherence to gendered social norms of motherhood.