PESHAWAR – The three hijab-clad women in red and black you see are part ofthe Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bomb Disposal Squad, resolute in maintaining theirrigorous training to combat crime.
Have you ever heard of Rafia Qaseem?
She was the first woman from Asia to join the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU)training in Nowshera. In February 2017, 11more women, including threesisters, completed similar training at the Police School of ExplosiveHandling in KP 24 joined Elite Force, including 11 commandoes.
No mean achievement in an environment dominated by a conservative andpatriarchal mindset!
Has anyone heard of Kausar — Kausar of Hasomat Serian, a small conservativevillage of Mansehra District where girls never see a school in their lives.Kausar rose above her surroundings, the only educated woman in her villagenow serving as a police constable and supporting her family.
Who is Robina Gul? A villager from a remote area of KP who traded herneedle for a trowel recently and is now encouraging other women to setuptree nurseries like hers that can earn them a substantial monthly wage.Billion Tree Tsunami brought with it a boom for rural women who — under theguidance of female forest officers — are now nurturing and setting up hometree nurseries.
They first get black polythene bags from the forest department to fill withmud and manure followed by seeds and training on how to sow and tend to thetrees.
The wind of change is blowing in KP. Women are being increasingly enabledto join the workforce as agents of change by contributing to theirfamilies, communities and society
The secret behind the success of developed countries is directly correlatedto the participation of women in the progress of a country.
Our Quaid was the first to stress this point, and I quote: “I have alwaysmaintained that no nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannottake its women along with men. It is a crime against humanity to shut upwomen within the four walls of houses as prisoners. Let us try to raise thestatus of women according to Islamic ideals and standards. Together we canbuild homes, families and nations.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government realised this earlier on as Imran Khan’svision was also firmly rooted in Quaid-e-Azam’s perception of women as aformidable workforce in ensuring the progress of a nation.
Initially, CMKP, Pervaiz Khattak, approved the Women Empowerment Policy asper an action plan for 2013-18 which one can visibly see being executedacross the province. KP Cabinet endorsed amendments in the ProtectionAgainst Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010, as well as for theappointment of an ombudsperson under the Act. Many female school andcollege teachers who were recruited on a contract basis were regularised bythe KP Education Department over the past four years through a bill tabledin KP Assembly.
The KP government set out to establish its first Girls Cadet College inMardan in April 2017. The first graduation ceremony was held recently whichdid parents proud. Centres are now being set up in Peshawar, Kohat, DIKhan, Abbottabad and Pindi for entry tests.
February 2018 heralded a new era for Pakhtun women living in rural areas ofChitral. They were given royalty from sustainable forestry — a domainexclusively of men. This historic moment happened after several parleysbetween women councillors and local government officials in the area. Youempower women in politics, and they push for the rights of womankind. Thisonly happens when laws are enacted through assemblies to protect theirinherent rights.
It was a wondrous sight to see 10,000 girls/women participating in 18sports in 3 consecutive years in KP. Lo and behold, we had female judoplayers hailing from remote rural districts like Lakki Marwat, who won5-golds in Quaid-i-Azam National Games in National Youth Carnival.
KP Youth Impact Challenge provided financial assistance to young womenentrepreneurs with smart business ideas. KP Youth Directorate also providesregular sponsorships for women participation in international events likeHULT Prize Dubai, Model UN at Indonesia and AISEC at Romania.
In December 2017, the KP government announced its policy guidelines forwomen empowerment by ensuring the provision of avenues for theirdevelopment. CMKP launched a 16-day activism campaign to sensitise peopleon rights of women — the key to eradicating poverty, build resilientsocieties and promote sustainable development through socio-economic,political and legal empowerment.
In February 2018, USAID and a local NGO ‘Pak Women’ supported the WomenParliamentary Caucus of KP for the passage of 3 landmark resolutions fromKP Assembly to facilitate and provide women broader opportunities to earn aliving. But there is still a dark side in Pakistan where this marginalisedsegment of society is stripped of its fundamental right to vote routinelyin remote parts of KP/Balochistan/Gilgit Baltistan and some parts of Punjabthrough male-dominated Jirgas.
We need to wake up to the reality of this grave injustice even in this ageand day. Hopefully, ECP will wake up from a deep slumber and declare anyelection result null and void in 2018 which dares to disenfranchise 52percent of this country’s population forcibly. Till then, Quaid’s dreamwill remain unrealised.
Uzma Kardar: *The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reachedatkardaruzma@gmail.com *