CHITRAL: Just a few years back it was unthinkable that women would come out in the bazars of Chitral to do their shopping, even when accompanied by their male family members. Now, in the Chitral town bazar at any one time about 30 percent of the population comprises of women mostly of young age going about their shopping and chores boldly.

About three years back when an attempt was made to set up a women exclusive market where both the buyers and sellers would be women, some key clerics cried horse that it was against Islamic teachings and the project had to be abandoned. Now women are seen thronging shops manned by male shopkeepers as the clerics have given up resistance. Chitrali girls have been playing foot ball and skating in Islamabad and Hunza recently.

In two key positions of Lower Chitral District, the District Police Officer and the District and Sessions Judge are both female. Almost all the banks have female staff. A bank manager told CN that they have received a letter from the State Bank of Pakistan that at least 50 percent of their staff strength should comprise of female staff.

The emancipation of women has come about late, but better than never. The country’s population comprises of 55 percent female gender and putting them to productive work would do phenomenal good to the country. Restricting women to houses which in many a case comprise of a few rooms with no space to move, either make the girls mentally sick or addicted to tv dramas and mobile apps etc. In extreme cases girls lose their head and even opt for suicide.

The new liberty given to the female population in a conservative society is a good experiment and if this new found liberty is used diligently and sensibly by them keeping moral values paramount, it can work wonders for our society in the near and far future.  .. CN report,  27 Feb 2021