Negotiating and contextualising the meanings of the cultural norms: Ghairat and Pardah among female students at the University of Peshawar, Pakistan

Despite women’s potential role in Pashtun society, their perspectives, epistemes, and interpretations of Pashtunwali remain underrepresented in scholarly literature. This study addresses such a gap by exploring the understanding and interpretation of Pashtunwali through the lived experiences of young Pashtun women at the University of Peshawar. The research specifically focuses on two core values of Pashtunwali: ghairat (honour) and pardah (veil). Ghairat dictates actions to uphold personal and family honour, while pardah refers to gender segregation and modesty. Since the study aims to explore the lived experiences of young, educated Pashtun women, a qualitative approach is adopted, which involves semi-structured interviews with selected educated Pashtun women. The findings reveal that educated women express their agency by identifying with and upholding the principles of Pashtunwali through the negotiation of its meaning. They acknowledge that ghairat and purdah are subject to reinterpretation and adaptation by women within a particular context, thus reflecting the flexible and evolving nature of Pashtunwali. The study indicates that educated Pakhtun women negotiate the meaning of cultural norms previously defined by men. The findings have implications for understanding gender dynamics and cultural identity among Pashtuns, particularly in the context of higher education.