'Families only' events in K-P leave men disgruntled

Single men complain of being frozen out of cultural activities owing to fear they would harass women

PESHAWAR: A group of male students from a private university were huddled around the entrance to a hall in Peshawar. Inside, a cultural fair, Huner Mela (Artisans fair) was underway.

“You are not allowed [inside],” one of the organisers bellowed at the students while guarding the entrance gate. “It’s [an event] for families only.”

The ‘families only’ restriction against boys attending events in the conservative city where women often cannot attend public events or enjoy sports outdoors due to family restrictions and rowdy male behaviour, seems to be ironic.



One of the students tries to argue the matter with the official but it only prompts the organisers to call the police deployed outside to move the students along.

“Where should we go if all the events being held in the city are restricted to families only,” the disgruntled student told The Express Tribune as he was shepherded out.



“The management [of events] thinks that all bachelor students of the city want to visit such events just to tease or ogle at women,” he adds angrily while noting that he does not wish to be named lest he is barred from any future event by name.

“We come here just to entertain ourselves with music. What else is there left in the city? Bomb blasts, suicide attacks, terror and fear.”



A similar situation was witnessed outside a musical show recently arranged by the district administration in Peshawar’s historical Ghor Ghatri tehsil. The posters for the event, while inviting the public to the event, warned bachelors to stay away with a warning inscribed in bold writing: ‘For Families  Only’.

“Gate is closed and only families are allowed to enter the venue,” a security guard at the entrance of the venue said as he stopped men who appeared to be unaccompanied by families.

As a result, dozens of locals stood outside the entrance as they missed out on the show.



The trend of ‘Families only’ events under the patronage of cultural and tourism department of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has been increasing, excluding single men and those living in the city without families, from places of entertainment.

Apart from events, the few parks in the city have also been declared as ‘families only’ zones. Some parks, such as the Chacha Yonus Park located on the main GT Road, does not allow multiple men accompanied by a single female to enter.

However, men and women have mixed response to such an attitude of event organisers.

Nadia Alam told The Express Tribune that events should be arranged for bachelors as well ranging from concerts, competitions, gaming zones and inexpensive eateries in the city.



When asked if families face any problems if bachelors are allowed to events, she said most families do not allow girls to attend mixed events.

“If the families know the events are for families only, the girls are easily permitted to attend,” she points out.

Another problem, she pointed out, was that some immature boys take unsolicited pictures and videos of girls and families at mixed events which can create problems for the girls and families.

The Culture Directorate, which usually organises events in the city, believes that bachelor’s participating in family-only events look awkward.



“We restrict such events only to families so that they could enjoy it,” Directorate of Culture K-P Director Ajmal Khan told The Express Tribune, adding that his department also arranges events which are meant for men and women are not barred from participating in such events.

Rights activists have concerns over the generalisation of that only men can harass women while the reverse cannot happen.

Sana Ejaz, a Peshawar-based rights activist, said that it was discrimination against bachelors and youth of the city since there were hardly any outlets of entertainment for them.

“If events for families can be arranged then the same events can also be organised for the youth and other people who are already depressed from the prevailing law and order situation of the province,” he said.

When asked about the reason why men are not usually allowed to events, he said that it was owing to harassment fears.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2017.