Investigating Factors Causing Sectarian Militancy and Its Association with Rural Women Sufferings

Abstract

The study titled “Investigating factors causing sectarian militancy and its association with rural women suffering” was carried out in tribal district Kurram erstwhile known as Kurram Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. A proportionally determined sample size of 335 female respondents was randomly selected within the age group of 30 years and above. The collected data was quantitatively analyzed and presented with the help of frequencies and percentages. The study concluded that sectarian militancy has devastating effects on rural women in terms of getting educations, access to health care facilities and administrative domains, social capital and networking, and political freedom. The prevalence of long standing sectarian tendencies and subsequent violence in the area, also contributed towards women increasing economic dependency on men. The study further concluded that women focused social institutions were socially disintegrated in terms of its physical infrastructure and deliverance due to sectarian conflicts. Likely, it’s also resulted into weakened control of women over livelihood, while on the other hand; women opt for secular ideologies in migrated areas after their displacement from home towns. To overcome with women sufferings in war effected areas, strict regulations need to be implemented especially targeting women folks, introduction of consistent efforts to challenge the prevailing patriarchal social structure, creation of awareness among the local leaders about gender sensitivity and punishing anti-state actors like Taliban and Zainebiyoun etc., were forwarded some of the recommendations in light of the study results.