It depicts absence of women in the existing system of political administration and social institutions in FATA. It argues that special status of FATA reinforces existing patriarchal, tribal, customary practices Pukhtunwali and deprives tribal women of fundamental human rights. This study also attempts to fill gaps in existing knowledge concerning tribal women, especially customary practices, limiting her multifarious development as an individual.
It stresses the need and calls for gender inclusive reforms in FATA to ensure fundamental rights of both tribal men and women.
Empirical data from female respondents have been collected in two agencies of FATA, namely Kurram and Khyber, during six Focused Group Discussions and sixty individual interviews, in Tribal population, specifically women, of the North Western borderland of Pakistan, presently known as Federally Administered Tribal Areas FATA , has perhaps been one of the most severely oppressed, discriminated and marginalized. The British devised a unique system of Political Administration assigning absolute administrative and judicial powers to the political agents.
In the North Western borderland, British policy towards tribes, instigated by security of India, shifted from agreements of good will, friendship and allowances, to punitive expeditions.
The British never intended to integrate this area into settled districts. They rather sought to establish their influence, with minimum cost and risk to life and property, to prevent Russian penetration and safeguard imperial trade. The system of Political Administration along with Frontier Crimes Regulation FCR , was promulgated in the tribal territory to, protect life and property in the settled districts, keep the passes open, and maintain law and order.
