Gender Mainstreaming, Religious Discourse, Customary Practices and Discrimination against Women in the Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

One of the most difficult issues faced by women in the newly merged districts of tribal areas is the problem of exclusionary religious discourses that has roots in the rigid patriarchal cultural practices of the area, which results in creating a wide gulf in the public life of the women in these areas. In this research study, we attempt to discuss different discursive practices that are common in the tribal areas and that create obstacles to women's participation in public and social spaces. The prevailing traditional narrative holds that women are not allowed by religion and cultural practices to go out in public and should remain within the four walls of the house, which limits their meaningful participation in public life. During our discussions and surveys, many female participants openly questioned the existing conditions, offering alternative explanations and reasons for their lack of voice regarding their rights. A substantial number of women claim that men are influenced by the clergy through their speeches and sermons in the context of their attitude towards their womenfolk. The participants acknowledge the role of misinterpretation and the underlying power structures that sustain this whole process of dominance at the cultural level. As informed by the participants, these clergy are considered the final authority in very sensitive issues, such as honor killings and other oppressive interpretations rooted in culture. Women raise questions about the mistreatment they receive at the hands of their men and demand upon the state to protect them from oppressive norms and extremist religious doctrines.