Days before a women’s cricket match, reports of local clerics and elders barring women from participating in sports in Swat’s Charbagh Tehsil began making rounds on social media. Residents’ and players’ outcry coupled with outrage on social media prompted the district administration to instruct officials to find a “suitable” location for the match. The match was eventually held in the Kabal tehsil on Tuesday. It was the first-ever women’s cricket match to be held in Swat and was attended by a large audience, including female spectators and district officials.
Women in Swat have long faced restrictions and hindrances in their daily activities due to the region’s struggle with militancy and violence. Perhaps, local educational institutes, sports organisers and district administration should work together to address the reservations of local clerics and elders and negotiate with them to find a middle ground to enhance educational and recreational opportunities for girls. Today, when women across the country are representing Pakistan on a global scale in different domains including sports, Swat’s women are being held back due to longstanding conservative ideas and values. The young cricketers who participated on Tuesday were overjoyed and hoped for more opportunities in the future.
The federal and provincial governments along with other concerned institutes and bodies need to enhance opportunities for women in conservative and backward regions of Pakistan. The ideology that women’s participation in sports is immoral must be dismantled through awareness and negotiation. Girls in Swat and across the country should be empowered through events that allow them to showcase their talent and skills. We need to confront the reality that oppression and disempowerment of an entire section of the population is why we are still lagging globally. The historic women’s cricket match in Kabal Tehsil serves as a beacon of hope highlighting the urgent need for collaborative efforts to break down barriers and empower women in Swat and beyond.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2023.
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