Elections 2013: Illiterate Pakistani housewife makes vote history
KHAR: A Pakistani housewife, who cannot read or write despite being married to a headteacher, has made history by becoming the first woman approved to run for election in the Taliban-infested tribal belt.
Badam Zari, 53, may have little chance of winning, but her enthusiasm has been seized upon as a step towards emancipation in one of the most conservative parts of Pakistan, where women live in purdah and few even vote.
“I am contesting the election with passion, with a clean heart and a clear conscience. My passion is to educate the future generation, girls and women, and to serve them,” she told AFP in a telephone interview from Bajaur district.
“I know I am the first woman to contest and I am hopeful that I will win.”Read More »Elections 2013: Illiterate Pakistani housewife makes vote history