PESHAWAR: A group of women rights activists from Fata came out in the open for the first time to voice concerns about the women’s plight in the tribal region and pledged to begin fight to ensure basic rights to women in the proposed reforms agenda.

The group from the Awami National Party’s platform held its maiden ‘Women’s Jirga’ at the party’s central headquarters here on Saturday to hold discussion on the Fata reforms committee’s recommendations and tribal women’s perspectives.

It was a small group, nonetheless the initiative is said to be a bold one in the face of the current socio and political environment in Fata.

Tribal system has effectively segregated the women folk and does not allow them to raise any voice at usurpation of legal or human rights.


Say they will ensure protection of own rights in region’s proposed reforms


“Truly speaking, there is no such system in Fata that allows women to speak, leave alone holding jirga, but now time has changed and it demands women come forward and discuss matters pertaining to the well-being of their families,” Naheed Afridi, organiser of the jirga.

She said women comprised around 50 per cent of the total population of Fata, but they were ignored in the decision-making process at local as well as national level.

She said tribal women had badly suffered due to militancy.

“Unfortunately tribal women were not treated like human beings,” she said, adding that purpose of this forum was to raise voice for the marginalised segment of the society.

She demanded the federal government include tribal women in the reform process being discussed at different forums.

Women rights activists from Waziristan, Orakzai, Khyber, Kurram and other parts of Fata attended the jirga and gave their opinion on the proposed political streamlining of Fata.

Advocate Abdul Latif Afridi and former MNAs of ANP Bushra Gouhar and Jamila Gillani also participated in the consultation process.

Nosheen, who belongs to Orakzai Agency, opposed the repealing of the Frontier Crimes Regulation with the new Tribal Areas Rewaj Act proposed in the reforms report. She said rejected both FCR and proposed Rewaj Act and demanded extension of all articles and clauses of the 1973 Constitution should extend to Fata.

“Replacing FCR with Rewaj Act will not be accepted,” she said and demanded of the government to merger Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa forthwith.

She also demanded package for the rehabilitation of militancy-affected people of Fata.

She said women activists had serious reservations over Sartaj Committee report on political streamlining of Fata.

“The federal government should have given representation to women folk in the six-member committee,” said Nosheen, adding that women made 50 per cent of the total population of tribal region.

Despite that, women had no representation in the committee, she added.

She said the committee visited all tribal agencies for consultation and organised events in Peshawar and Islamabad, but women were not invited.

She said the group had earlier organised Fata Women Jirga at Jalozai Camp in Nowshera to highlight plight of displaced women from tribal areas.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2017

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