Giving Voice to the Voiceless: Women’s Political Participation and the Socio-Cultural and Infrastructural Barriers in the Newly Merged Tribal Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The merger of the former FATA region with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018 has, on the one hand, opened new opportunities for elevating the socio-economic and political indicators of the Newly Merged Tribal Districts (NMTDs), which remain at the lowest levels compared to the national average, and on the other, raises questions about issues of gender equality and empowerment. This study examines how the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa addresses centuries-old inequality and disempowerment among its female population, and how such reform processes impact the position of tribal women by increasing their access to formal political spaces and processes. Using mixed methods, the study draws its findings from the primary data collected from all seven districts of NMTDs. Quantitative data for the study is collected through surveys with selected women from all the NMTDs, and qualitative data is gathered through semi-structured interviews with a range of stakeholders. This study argues that despite incremental improvements, the political participation of women in NMTDs is still limited due to the continued dominance of patriarchal norms embedded in local culture and a lack of infrastructural development due to governmental neglect. Socio-cultural and infrastructural barriers, along with a precarious security situation, still hinder women of NMTDs from getting political awareness, utilising modern means such as social media, participating in elections as candidates and voters, raising their voice, and mobilising for their cause.