Varsity criticised for only barring women from smoking corners

Smoke-free programme official says revised notification expected to be issued after Muharram break

ISLAMABAD: As many as seven public and private universities in the capital have imposed a ban on smoking on campus as part of a government-backed campaign to declare campuses smoke-free.

However, the notifications issued by some varsities to implement this move have become controversial after they selectively targeted a section of the student population with calls by the campaign managers for the varsity to revise their discriminatory notification.

The Tobacco Smoke-Free Islamabad Programme has been working with campuses in the federal capital including institutions like the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Bahria University and Air University to curb smoking on campus.

As part of the gradual process of curbing smoking on campus, initially, smoking corners will be established where smoking will be permitted. But gradually these combustive sanctuaries will be abolished within three months.

In light of the programme, a notification posted in the Islamabad campus of NUST apparently barred women from these designated smoking areas.

A copy of the notification, which quickly went viral on social media networks, warned that girls found smoking in these designated smoking corners will be fined Rs1,000.



They were further threatened of being confronted about their actions before their parents.

Several students and activists decried the move as discriminatory.
A masters student at the institution said that she was not surprised by the notification given the policy leanings of the institution.
"NUST has several sexist policies in place already," the student said who did not wish to be named for fear of repercussion.

She added that a campus curfew for female students ends an hour before the curfew for male students. Moreover, the entry and exit of girls from the varsity's hostel is far more minutely monitored and logged than for boys. Moreover, parents of female students are called to verify if they stay out overnight, the student said.

"As a woman, it has been humiliating to be treated like a criminal suspect or immature child. Meanwhile, boys get a free hand to come and go on as they please," the post-graduate student said.

"The rules, for them, only adorn the notice board," she says.
A final-year electrical engineering student said that their campus has been smoke-free for a while but only now were the designated smoking areas set up.

A map posted alongside the notification shows that over 20 new smoking areas for male students were being set up across campus.

He said that he first saw the notifications posted on department's notice boards about two weeks ago when the new semester began.
While not a smoker himself, he said he knew several female students who objected to the policy asking whether the administration considered women and men had different lungs.

NUST designated smoking corners to discourage smoking in hostels, washrooms and secret corners by students.

Tobacco Smoke-Free Islamabad Project Manager Aftab Ahmed said that it was hard to make youngsters give up smoking and that measures usually seem to work for a short time after which youngsters relapse and start smoking again.

Explaining the process of creating designated smoking corners, Ahmed explained that it was done to systemically corner smokers before banning smoking altogether.

However, he conceded that barring women only left a bad taste and said that after the Muharram break, the notification will be revised to end the gender discrimination.

University officials explained that the move was an attempt to discourage smoking in hostels, washrooms and secret corners by students.

The decision to bar girls was in good faith, officials said, adding that the belief was that if a girl smokes, it impacts the entire family.
But after the issue was highlighted on social media, the smoke-free project officials asked the varsity to revise the notification to end the gender discrimination.