Barriers to Girl’s Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A Case Study of South Waziristan, Tehsil Makeen

Authors

  • Marina Khan Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water, and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan
  • Gulawar Khan Professor, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water, and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences
  • Noor Muhammad Dean of the Faculty of Education, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Lasbela, Balochistan

Keywords:

South Waziristan, Makeen, Barriers, Girl’s Education

Abstract

Girls’ education has long been a topic of debate in Pakistan, with the lowest enrolment rates among Pashtun populations in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). This qualitative paper investigates the barriers to girls’ education in the erstwhile South Waziristan with an emphasis on Tehsil Makeen. The perspectives of many stakeholders belonging to South Waziristan with varied backgrounds are gathered through in-depth qualitative open-ended questionnaires. The interviewees include parents of the girls, teachers/headmistresses, social workers, school-age girls, and personnel of the education department. The interviewees cited Pashtunwali (Pashtun Code of Conduct), poverty, lack of educational institutions, lack of female teachers, accessibility issues, and lack of government interest and will. While conducting this research, liberal feminist theory is applied as the theoretical framework. In this paper, we find out that in Pashtunwali, poverty, lack of educational institutions, lack of female teachers, accessibility to schools, and lack of government interest are the major hurdles in girls’ education. The paper also offers certain suggestions to the government to overcome the barriers that hinder girls from acquiring education in South Waziristan.

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Published

2023-03-07

Issue

Section

Articles