Abstract:
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas have historically functioned with no formal socio-political
controls from an external government. The people have their own customs and laws, and no
significant efforts have been made to engage them on equal footing. With the rise of terrorism, this
region came under the international spotlight and government, military and non-government
mechanisms attempted, too little, too late, to curb the spread of militancy and violence. The people of
FATA have been prone to radicalization because of their poverty stricken and marginalized status,
and women particularly are a vulnerable group. The large female population in a patriarchal society
is also the key to accessing and reforming households in an area where terrorism has disrupted the
very fabric of society. The key question therefore is whether women can be empowered to become
self-sustaining individuals, in an effort towards nation-building? This would have long term impact
on the role these women play within the home as well as the community at large, and effectively help
develop, connect and integrate FATA with the larger region and country by creating economic
interdependency. This study focuses exclusively on women from TDP camps near Bannu and
measures their potential for empowerment in the post-conflict context. It uses primary data as well as
interviews and case studies, triangulated through quantitative as well as qualitative analysis to affirm
that yes, there is great potential to empower women towards self sustainability, with small scale
schemes and interventions already in place. However, there needs to be greater focus on
psychosocial interventions, or psychosocial aspects must be intentionally integrated into economic
schemes. Skill development and vocational training would also go a long way in empowering these
women. Although this study is derived from a small sample of the overall TDP population, it is
hoped that results can be extrapolated to encourage formal government and civil society initiatives to
design and implement economic and psychosocial interventions across the region. It is hoped that
these will prove a long term investment in combating the threats of militancy and terrorism, and in
integrating the region as a whole into mainstream Pakistan.
