Attack on female council founder

A cowardly attack was launched earlier this week on the home of a pioneering activist for women’s rights in Swat, Tabassum Adnan. Whatever the nefarious objective, one hopes that Ms Tabassum — founder of the first all-female Jirga — will continue with her mission of reaching out to victims of violence and sensitising women about their legal and political rights. This is the same Swat district where teenage activist Malala Yousufzai was shot and critically wounded. In its relatively short life, the Khwendo Jirga or council has risen to become a lifeline for women and their all too many vulnerabilities as well as creating space for them to discuss and strategise options on their security and shelter — subjects that have remained far out of their domain for so long.

Activists like Ms Tabassum are enriching the struggle for women’s empowerment and enabling them to take their rightful place in society. Because she is actively involved in organising women and helping them claim their rights, one can safely assume that Ms Tabassum has run into some fierce opposition over the course of time. Her detractors and opponents are as incorrigible as they are powerful.

Though Ms Tabassum had complained to the police authorities about the threats she had been receiving, not enough has been done to determine the nature of the threats or protect her group from physical intimidation and gun assaults.

The authorities must do their utmost to investigate Thursday night’s shooting, unmask the assailants and punish them before they dare to carry out another, more lethal attack. The Khwendo Jirga and all its members must be protected and shielded from all those individuals and groups who wish to undermine and usurp the right of women. In addition, members of civil society must stand as one and come to the aid of the all-female Jirga as it faces what is probably a serious challenge.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2017.

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