Educational and Social Capital Strategies of Rural Women Leaders: Religiosity and Social Inclusion for Gender-Equitable Communication

Abstract

This study examines the influence of educational and social capital on gender-equitable communication among women leaders in rural communities, positioning religiosity as a reinforcing variable and social inclusion as a mediating mechanism linking social capital to communicative outcomes. An explanatory quantitative approach employing a cross-sectional survey design was adopted to test the hypothesized relationships among latent constructs. The study sample comprised sixty community women leaders, including female pastors, chairpersons of the Toraja Church Women's Fellowship, Family Welfare Movement officials, and other female religious figures drawn from two regencies, Tana Toraja and North Toraja, selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered via a structured questionnaire employing a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Evaluation of the measurement
model demonstrated satisfactory convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability across all constructs. The structural model results reveal that educational capital and social capital exert a positive and significant influence on gender-equitable communication, while religiosity, situated within the context of Toraja Church service, likewise contributes positively, albeit with a comparatively modest effect. Social inclusion is shown to partially mediate the relationship between social capital and gender equitable communication, indicating both direct and indirect pathways of influence. The tested model accounts for an adequate proportion of variance in social inclusion and gender-equitable communication. These findings substantiate that strengthening educational capacity, expanding inclusive social networks, and reinterpreting religious values in support of equality constitute complementary strategies for advancing equitable communication within Torajan communities, informing contextually empowerment policy for rural women leaders