Is Working for Tribal Women a Sin?

After the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, religious factions locked women in their homes. Taking advantage of this opportunity, tribal leaders turned girls' schools into guest rooms. The war against terrorism further closed the doors of schools, and on a large scale, schools were bombed.

A source who wished to remain anonymous told Zan News that the advantage of girls' schools was that they provided free accommodation and also several fourth-grade jobs, which helped cover household expenses. She added that the political agent had complete authority and could assign schools to whoever he wished. Many wealthy tribal leaders had received four or five schools, the buildings of which they used for personal gain, and they also personally collected the salaries of the fourth-grade employees.

The situation has reached a point where even working for women is considered "forbidden." The hardliners of the Taliban have caused the most damage to girls' schools, because in their view, girls should neither receive an education nor leave the house. The schools built in tribal areas were already functioning as guest rooms, but the Taliban could not even accept the name "girls' school."

The responsibility for keeping girls deprived of education was not solely the Taliban's, but also political agents under the FCR (Frontier Crimes Regulations) law, which granted them full authority. Their connections were limited to tribal leaders, who demanded the closure of girls' schools.

They said that under the FCR (Frontier Crimes Regulations) law, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) had separate offices for the President and Governor, which also included girls' schools. By combining the budgets of both, it was larger than the budget of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but this money was spent on other purposes instead of the welfare of the common tribes.

In this regard, a social activist from Waziristan, Pakistan, says that women in tribal areas have not yet gained independence, and strict social restrictions prevent them from working or having jobs. Some people even feel embarrassed to mention their mother or sister's name, and educated individuals also encourage women to stay only within their homes.

Fatima, another woman from the remote areas of Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, has faced her family's strict customs and restrictions. Fatima said, "I received an education and participated not only in the development of my family but also my community. However, my family did not allow me to work. They believed that women should only engage in household chores, and stepping into the outside world was not suitable for them." These traditional thoughts have created obstacles for Fatima in pursuing her dreams.

In Pakistan, an Afghan woman from Afghanistan, whose assumed name is Shaista, says that when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, she was working in a factory, but with the Taliban's rise to power, she was not allowed to continue working. In light of this situation, she migrated to Pakistan to continue her life, but even here, she has faced numerous challenges.

She said, "When we came to Pakistan, we had high hopes that we would find a better life, but unfortunately, we are still without legal documents, which has caused us to face various problems." She added that finding any kind of job here has become very difficult. The number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is in the millions, and most of them face issues related to employment and legal status.

The lives of Afghan women became even more challenging when the Taliban government imposed bans on education and other important rights for girls and women. Shaista and other women like her say that they are forced to continuously struggle for a better future for their families.