Women are generally under-represented in the legal profession all over the country. However, when we talk about male-dominated environment of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, especially the newly merged tribal areas, pursuing this profession is pretty much an impossible task for women.
But despite the odds, two young women from erstwhile FATA aim to break free from the patriarchal shackles. Sidra-Ul-Muntaha, a native of Barwand area of South Waziristan and third-semester law student at Gomal University DI Khan, Gulalay Wazir, law intern at lower courts Peshawar aspire to be lawyers.
The courtroom is no place for women even for a one-time visit. and you want to work there?", asked my paternal uncle when I decided to study law some one-and-a-half years back, recalls Muntaha while talking to Naya Daur.
She says she was discouraged repeatedly by her family from getting a legal education, but Muntaha eventually managed to convince them. She is now determined to join the judiciary as a judge. "Most women in the tribal areas do not get higher education and study up to matriculation only", she says.
One thing which is more important for a girl is her parents' support. I am among the few lucky girls of my areas whom this support has been available, Muntaha adds.
Muntaha’s family is settled in Barwand area of South Waziristan and in the pursuance of her education and career, she has been living a hostel life.
Early marriage concept is quite common in our area due to which the majority of girls cannot pursue their studies after primary education. Many of my friends are not happy with their early marriages because they wanted to study and pursue their careers, she says.
“Whenever I visit my area, I meet them and I encourage them to support their children for studies and complete their dreams while educating them and playing their role in transforming the culture,” she says.
Majority of locals support girls' education but local elders such as ‘Maliks’ don’t support it, says Muntaha. She says she wanted to provide justice to the women of her area by standing side by side with them in their legal matters.
This was the first time in my entire educational career when an organisation provided financial support in pursuing my career, says Gulalay Wazir, a law intern at lower courts in Peshawar.
Wazir’s parents migrated to Peshawar when Pakistan Army launched Zarb-e-Azb operation against militants in North Waziristan Agency in June 2014.
“My father is a labourer and doesn’t have a regular job to bear our educational expenses. My elder sister managed my educational expenses while my young brother stopped his studies so I can continue my studies", she adds.
We were given a few days to vacate the area as the security environment had turned violent. They brought nothing but the clothes they were wearing and after a few months my father visited the area and everything was destroyed. There was nothing even in their house structure, Wazir said.
Gulalay has a desire to start her legal career from Miran Shah, but she is afraid that the uncertain security environment would create hurdles. She says local people are supportive of girls' education, saying these were the anti-state elements who stopped them from getting education and warned them of consequences.
“I was in class sixth when I started wearing hijab because of the fear of violent extremists” she says.
Sidra and Gulalay are among 36 other girls from newly merged Tribal Areas who are studying law in KP institutions. In order to support them, UNDP has recently announced a scholarship.
UNDP Amn-o-Insaf Programme Head Jakhongir Khaydarov told Naya Daur that since 2012, Amn-o-Insaf Programme with the support of SDC and KP government has enabled over 150 women law students and graduates to pursue the legal profession through educational scholarships and professional stipends.
“In the past, UNDP has provided resources for legal education, including books and training opportunities to women lawyers including organizing a training and mentoring session for a group of new women lawyers from Malakand division jointly with (late) Asma Jahangir in Lahore”.
He further mentioned that UNDP plans to extend Women Lawyers Forum to Baluchistan and other parts of Pakistan with the objective to provide a firm and uniform voice to women lawyers and encourage other women to join the legal profession.