The 150th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) aired on the subject theme.
The first guest on show, Ms. Baseerat Bibi, Member, Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, noted that socio-political inclusion of women doesn’t merely imply provision of opportunities for their participation in the socio-political affairs, most importantly, it is also about empowerment through raising awareness among them regarding their rights and responsibilities. While women in tribal areas need special attention in this regard, tribal men also lack this fundamental awareness. The real mean for mindset change in the society is education for all genders on their social roles for development and constitutional entitlements as equal citizens.
No nation can progress without the socio-economic and political participation of over half of the country’s population i.e. women. We cannot afford to let the gender gap jeopardize our national development objectives, thus there is a dire need to ensure/ provide equal opportunities to female members of the society for social inclusion, mobility and development. Collaboration between the state and civil society organizations is extremely important for women empowerment and all other shared goals.
Merger of tribal areas in the KP province serves as a great human capital development opportunity to bring this region at par with other parts of the country by investing in the people, fulfilling their democratic needs as a precondition to enhance their participation in the political processes. Tribal women have a great socio-political participation potential, they only need opportunities for education and development.
The second guest on show, Mr. Danish, CRSS’s Ulasi Taroon Alumnus and a student of City University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, shared that the tribal youth, especially females are entitled to the constitutional rights as much as the youth in other parts of the country since our constitution advocates for indiscriminate equality. Post FATA-KP merger, there is dire need to mainstream them and provide opportunities to develop their peacebuilding potential. The male youth counterparts also need to be sensitized about women rights and their empowerment needs.
The third guest on show, Dr. Muhammad Zubair, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Peshawar, elaborated that there is a huge onus on the male members of a patriarchal society to not suppress the talents, abilities and development potential of female members, instead provide a conducive environment to them that can help them to progress in all walks of life at par with men, if not more. For a sustainable change, women in newly merged districts need education and awareness about their due constitutional rights to be able to participate effectively in the socio-political and economic processes.
Besides education, financial independence is another essentiality that needs to be considered for women empowerment and to ensure the socio-political presence. Respecting each other’s opinions is a necessity for a cohesive society and that is a mindset we need to cultivate for the peace and prosperity.
About Ulasi Taroon
Ulasi Taroon is a counter radicalization initiative of Center for Research and Security Studies that aims to address the radicalization challenges, extremist ideologies and foster social cohesion through a discourse anchored in the core constitutional values which are fundamentally essential prerequisites for social peace and harmony. The endeavor aims to cultivate and sensitize the people of KP in the core values in the Pakistani constitution and our social contract. It’s an attempt to highlight the criticality of abiding by these ideals – such as adherence to rule of law, primacy and sanctity of constitution, equal citizenry, responsible citizenship, respect for fundamental human rights, tolerance for diversity and different opinions, inclusive democracy and good governance – as a measure of strengthening social cohesion and promoting peaceful co-existence.