Gender disparity: Women barred from voting in first All Teachers Union polls in 10 years

After 2003, deteriorating law and order in Khyber Agency prevented any such activities.

JAMRUD:

For the first time in 10 years, the All Teachers Union elections were held in Jamrud tehsil, Khyber Agency, however, in the absence of women teachers.

During Ziaul Haq’s regime, such organisations were banned across primary and secondary schools while teachers could form unions in colleges and universities. The ban was lifted later, but the precarious security situation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) prevented polls from being held for this purpose.

Khalid Afridi, a member of the Gulabddin teachers panel, said Sunday’s election was held under tight security and under the supervision and support of the Election Commission Pakistan and the political administration of Khyber Agency. Polling started at 8am and ended at 3pm.



Unions have existed in the agency, Khalid explained, but had been appointing members without any elections.

Universal suffrage

Although the polls took place peacefully on Sunday, not a single woman was allowed to participate, not a single one came to vote. According to Sarwar Khan Afridi, the information secretary of the union, there are at least 250 women teachers in the agency.

Out of 1,200 male teachers from Bara, Landikotal and Jamrud, 1,100 participated in the polls and elected Naseer Shah as the president of the All Teachers Union (ATU).

Women were unable to participate in these elections because both Gulabddin and Naseer Shah teachers panels decided against it, shared Sarwar. The inclusion of women teachers could considerably increase security risks as militants who were against women participation in the May 11 general elections could easily target teachers union polls for similar reasons, elaborated Sarwar.

Maintaining continuity

While appreciating the ballot, former teachers union president Taj Mehmood Afridi explained he was the last ATU president, elected in 2003. The two before him were Khana Gul and Feroz Afridi.

Instead of suspending the ATU in the absence of elections, Information Secretary Sarwar explained members and office bearers would be elected by the union itself for the sake of continuity.

“Unity in the agency and amongst the teachers helped,” explained Sarwar, “But this time it was decided that elections would be held and the president and cabinet will be appointed through the proper channel.”

‘Ray of hope’

The fresh formation of the ATU through peaceful ballots is a “ray of hope” in an area where people still do not prioritise education, said Khalil Afridi, an activist who works to promote education. The newly-elected union could attempt to solve problems faced by the educators of the agency, he added.

Shuhuda package

After a clean sweep, Naseer Shah promised he would struggle to facilitate teachers in the agency. Shah maintained he would work hard to get Khyber Agency teachers a martyr’s package equivalent to the one allocated for teachers in Balochistan. “No one offers a Shuhada package to teachers. No one provides any facilities to women teachers in Fata,” argued Shah.

“Previously teachers were arrested under the collective responsibility clause of the FCR, but we will not let this happen now.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2013.