Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Foreword
- Prologue
- Acknowledgements
- The Standpoint of the Author as a Researcher
- Part I Women in Pukhtun Society
- Part II Theoretical Perspectives
- Part III Untold Stories of Women and Education
- Part IV Towards Emancipation and Empowerment
- Epilogue
- Bibliography
- Appendix 1 Maps of Pukhtunkhwa and Swat
- Appendix 2 Introduction to the Focused Group Interviwees
- Appendix 3 Introduction to the Sample Women of Swat
- Index
Appendix 3 - Introduction to the Sample Women of Swat
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 June 2025
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Foreword
- Prologue
- Acknowledgements
- The Standpoint of the Author as a Researcher
- Part I Women in Pukhtun Society
- Part II Theoretical Perspectives
- Part III Untold Stories of Women and Education
- Part IV Towards Emancipation and Empowerment
- Epilogue
- Bibliography
- Appendix 1 Maps of Pukhtunkhwa and Swat
- Appendix 2 Introduction to the Focused Group Interviwees
- Appendix 3 Introduction to the Sample Women of Swat
- Index
Summary
Spalmai (Tehsil Kabal)
Spalmai was 24 years sweet-voiced girl. Her father was working in Dubai, while her mother was a local primary school teacher. She was the eldest among her five siblings (three brothers and two sisters). Her primary education was at a local non-elite private English-medium school, followed by her middle school.
My life as a primary school student was an amazing experience of enjoyment. I had loads of friends, great teachers and a study environment. I learned a lot from them.
Her shift from a non-elite private English-medium school to a government school was due to her Quran memorization. She was a practising Muslimah and she requested a break for prayer during her interview.
Normally the government school condition is very miserable in our area, but my middle school had a good standard like private schools.
She was living peacefully in her village before the rise of the Taliban in the valley. She was in Year 8 and enjoying those school days when the Taliban came on the scenario. They shut the government schools for girls, but being a student at a private school she continued her education under tremendous fear and threats. Later, she studied BSc at the main city college of Saidu Sharief. At the time of the interview, she was a final-year MSc Microbiology student at the University of Swat.
In Year 9, I was not observing purdah (veiling) and not covering my face as it prevailed in our Swat. My high school was quite far away from my village, so I went by local transport. Thus, once I was waiting with my friend at the bus stop, a person came near to us and warned us to wear proper burqah from tomorrow otherwise we would not let you go to school. I was very frightened, so the next day we started wearing proper veiling (burqah) because we [Spalmai and her friend] loved to continue our education.
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- Voices of the UnvoicedWomen's Struggle for Education in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan, pp. 177 - 200Publisher: Anthem PressPrint publication year: 2025
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