Seminar on Women’s Rights Held in Kalash Valley
CHITRAL: A one-day seminar was held here at Kalash valley on women rights at Bumburate village by a Non Government Organization the Kalash elites expressed their reservations and said that according to their dogma, the women have not been provided the same rights what the Muslim women enjoy and their society should not be disturbed by the human rights activists. They highly appreciated Islamic rules and laws in which women are more empowered than in non Islamic laws.
Enumerating the sharp differences between the Muslim and Kalash society with regards to women rights, they said there is no concept of inheritance of a daughter from her father, consumption of mutton and honey and keeping poultry in her home.
They said that the every people should have the right to protect, practice and preserve their norms and values of life according to their own dogma and other people should not trespass in the garb of sympathy. They said that last year, an organization distributed among the women of the Kalash valleys free poultry to augment their livelihood and it was an attempt to divide the Kalash society because keeping poultry in homes is strictly tabooed in Kalash dogma.
The Kalash leaders asked the development organizations to divert their attention in the development of basic infrastructure of road, education and health in the valley instead of tinkering with their social fabric.
They made it clear that there is no any serious threat to the women rights in the Kalash society and the NGOs should think for imparting education to the Kalash girls who have no separate schools but are forced to read in the boy’s schools while a large number of them are deprived of even it.
Addressing on the occasion, the project head of the NGO conceded the right of the Kalash people to live according to their social norms and cultural values.
He said that their NGO will strive to protect the women rights of Kalash valleys and has already taken many initiatives to empower the women without hurting their religious feelings.