UPPER DIR, Aug 5: Most women councillors of Upper Dir have not been attending sessions of district and union councils since 2005 because of an `unofficial ban’ imposed by a local jirga, some women councillors and members of civil society told Dawn on Sunday.

They said that the women councillors feared for their life if they attended the sessions of their respective councils.

In 2005, the jirga had barred women of the area from participating in local bodies election

According to the local government ordinance, a member of a council would become disqualified if he/she does not attend three continuous sessions of the respective council without any reason.

Kishwar Sultan and Naseem Bibi, two members of the Upper Dir District Council, told Dawn on Sunday that women councillors’ un-elected male relatives had been representing over 100 women, elected in the local bodies’ election of 2005, in sessions of the district and union councils.

“These self-nominated `representatives’ of women councillors -- apparently fathers, sons, brothers and husbands -- enter councils’ rooms, sign attendance roster and take part in the debate on behalf of the women councillors regularly,” the two women councillors said.

“Nazims, conveners and government officials are all part of this illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic practice,” they said.

“Amazingly, conveners of all couQncils do not stop these un-elected male `representatives’ of women councillors from entering, signing and even taking part in the debate,” official sources told Dawn on condition of anonymity.

“Some women councillors have even not turned up for any session of the councils since their oath-taking,” the sources said.

A UC nazim said that 87 women councillors in union councils, nine in tehsil council, six in Dir, three in Wari and five in district council were `represented’ by male relatives of female councillors.

He also revealed that in the previous local bodies’ councils too, women councillors did not attend sessions of the councils.

Councillors Kishwar Sultan and Naseem Bibi demanded of the government to stop these so-called male `representatives’ of women councillors from attending the councils’ sessions.

“No share in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) is given to us and they (male nazims and councilors) say that women councillors have no ADP share,” female councillors of different UCs, tehsil and Upper Dir District Council said.

“We were forced to sit in a separate room and all decisions about the ADP were taken in our absence,” Kishwar Sultan and Naseem Bibi said while narrating details of the budget session of the council.

They said that only Rs80,000 each were allocated for the areas of the two councillors in the last ADP and that too after lodging strong protests. Their male colleagues, they said, got Rs280,000 for their respective constituencies.

“The male councillors say that you are women. What will you do with the ADP share? They (male members of the DC) are against women councillors, irrespective of party affiliations, and they regard equal rights to women as their (male councillors’) humiliation,” the women councillors said

They demanded of the government to bring this and other injustices with women councillors to an end and ensure equal rights to them.