Pakistan's Swat valley is not known to be a friendly place for women. This is where Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head for advocating education for girls. The valley is no longer the base for the Pakistan Taliban, but it continues to be a conservative region for women.
The communities in the region are ruled by local councils called Jirgas, with only male members. That's why a Jirga comprising women is not just an oddity here, it's a remarkable phenomenon.
In March this year, Tabassum Adnan, founder of the NGO Khwendo Jirga, or Sisters Council – a women-only Jirga – was awarded the US Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award in recognition of her services of women's rights.
In the video above she explains how all Jirgas are usually governed by men and "women aren't allowed to take part at any level." To counter this Adnan started an all women's Jirga, which fights for women rights, demanding that their voice be heard in the community.
A report in Dawn says, "A victim of child marriage, Tabassum Adnan was married at the age of 13. The marriage and spike with domestic abuse, ended after 20 years when she gathered courage to divorce her husband." Since then she has become a champion for other disembodied voices from the region.
While some in her community support her, she has also received threats. but she told BBC Urdu's Riffatullah Orakzai that she will continue fighting until "her last breath."
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