Islam, Pakhtunwali And Educational Decision-Making Among Pakhtuns In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Gender disparity is not limited to particular area, or specific region and even to a specific culture of a society, rather is a generalized approach and phenomena which is working globally with some specific division of labor. However, linking this division of labor, gendered based division of labor to the teachings of Islam, obviously it is an odd conception which is damaging the real manifestations of the spirit of Islamic ideology. This study has been thus focusing on the two ideal types of approaches, i.e. one that is strongly supported by culture (for example the prevailing dominant Pakhtun tradition or codes of life) while the second is the ideal teachings of Islam (for example the teachings with reference to women’s rights in education). The study is devised to study female deprivation with regard to their educational decision making has been approach through interdisciplinary research using the context of religion and sociology. The field information has been collected from 100 respondents including both genders using purposive sampling with a pre-determined interview schedule for data collection. This part of the data has been supported through literature with the utilization of test statistics in the form of Chi-Square test. Tabulation and chart were presented in support of literature from the religious experts and the study reveals that decision-making process and choices in Pakhtun society are men driven and it is in control of patriarchy, male oriented values, laws and traditions while religion has been on the other side playing no role in the facilitation of female.