Hunza: A Paradise Of High attainment And Gender Equality in a very Remote Corner Of West Pakistan

Hunza: A Paradise Of High attainment And Gender Equality in a very Remote Corner Of West Pakistan
The Hunza vale, a district within the Gilgit–Baltistan territory of north West Pakistan, is noted not just for its spectacular natural scenery of majestic mountains and fulgid lakes however conjointly for the sweetness of its individuals, World Health Organization get pleasure from long life expectations. The rough mountain tract, clean air and water, associate degree abundance of healthy organic foods like dried apricots and almonds, and relative isolation square measure believed to own blessed the locals with glorious health and long lives. Indeed, Hunza vale was reportedly the inspiration for the paradise of "Shangri La" within the book "Lost Horizons" by James Hilton.

But Hunza and its {environs|environment|surroundings|surround|geographical square measurea|geographic area|geographical region|geographic region} are noted for one thing else that's quite extraordinary: a minimum of three-quarters of individuals within the vale – and nearly} all the youths of each genders -- will scan and write (in a rustic wherever about fifty five % of the population is literate, and numerous ladies square measure basically blocked from attending school). nearly each kid in Hunza attends college up to a minimum of the highschool level, whereas several pursue higher studies at faculties in West Pakistan and abroad.

Outside of Hunza, education in West Pakistan is quite bleak. In fact, Arshad Saeed Khan of the world organisation instructional, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) aforementioned West Pakistan spends solely a pair of.3 % of its GNP and nine.9 % of its total government budget on education (versus figures of four.5 % and twelve.7 percent, severally, for India; and a couple of.1 % and one4.1 % for Bangladesh).

Dawn, associate degree English-language Pakistani daily, reported that one amongst the principal factors behind Hunza's colossal attainment figures traces back to the academic support efforts of the Aga Khan III, Sir swayer Muhammad crowned head. within the early a part of the twentieth century, he persuaded the mirs [rulers] of Hunza state to teach their peoples. By 1946, sixteen "Diamond Jubilee" faculties were established within the vale, followed by a choice from the Pakistani government to open up public faculties within the Northern regions, together with Hunza. In 1983, aristocrat crowned head Karim Al Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, introduced The Academy, a high-quality college (including dormitory facilities) solely for ladies in Hunza. By the first Nineteen Nineties, the govt. created “community schools” in Hunza, together with the Al-Amyn Model college within the village of Gulmit, that permissible the students' families to participate in lessons.

Dawn noted 2 different major developments in regional education gains: the institution of the chain of mountains University in Gilgit, and therefore the instauration of organizations by the Aga Khan family line that encourage universal education, coaching and scholarships. the current Aga Khan has conjointly supported native agricultural and different economic endeavors through the Aga Khan Development Network. “There appears to be urgency in terms of exploit education,” wrote Dr. Shahid Siddiqui, director of the Centre for arts and Social Sciences at the city college of political economy, in a commentary in Dawn. “Parents in Hunza square measure convinced that the most effective issue they'll do for his or her youngsters is to assist them get an honest education. there's a growing interest in teaching for ladies.”

Siddiqui explained that given the restricted possibilities of upper education within the vale, the boys and ladies of Hunza head to massive cities like Karachi, Lahore, urban center and capital of Pakistan for teaching. He conjointly stressed that oldsters in Hunza encourage their daughters to achieve associate degree education and square measure even willing to send ladies to any or all elements of West Pakistan to get a top quality degree. “It is associate degree approach that distinguishes Hunza from the remainder of the Northern Areas,” he added.

Friday Times, associate degree freelance Pakistani newsweekly, delineate Hunza as “an oasis of education.” Janeha Hussain within the Times wrote that education and therefore the attainment of data square measure given high priority within the vale. “Boys and ladies alike approach their schooling with lovely exuberance,” Hussain wrote. “They are often seen walking on the wayside, lunchboxes swinging on their arms and books hugged closely to their chests.”

Even additional extraordinary, Hussain indicated, the importance of education during this vale has raised the standing of girls to equality with men. She cited that in Hunza (in stark distinction to nearly all different rural elements of Pakistan), “women and ladies stroll the bazaars when crepuscule while not male relatives, associate degreed nobody dares to bat even an hair at them, including stare sleazily and build risqué comments as is tradition elsewhere.” girls have conjointly become associate degree “integral part” of the native economy, together with those that weave Hunza's far-famed handicrafts.

Hunza differs from the remainder of West Pakistan in different ways that too: the bulk of the individuals there follow Shiah Islam, and lots of square measure Ismaili Shiah Muslims, followers of His Highness aristocrat Karim Aga Khan. (Most different Pakistanis adhere to Sunni Islam). Also, though the majority in Hunza perceive Urdu, the national tongue of West Pakistan, their primary languages comprise Dard, Burushaski, Wakhi among others.

Syed Irfan Ashraf, a Pakistani-based journalist, aforementioned in associate degree interview that since the individuals of Hunza belong to a spiritual minority, education is their main network that's needed for social mobilization. “Luckily, the Aga Khan Foundation has done enough to line up associate degree infrastructure {of schools|of faculties|of faculties} and colleges,” he said. “Otherwise, this a part of the country would are whole neglected.”

Muftah.org reported on a young 23-year-old lady from Hunza named Parveen, World Health Organization boasts a post-graduate degree associate degreed works at an IT center within the village of Gulmit. In her knowledge entry coaching category, boys and ladies square measure in roughly equal numbers. “For them, earning a cheque at the IT center by operating on-line with computers, doing knowledge entry, and generating content for e-commerce portals, could be a massive accelerate from cultivation the land,” wrote Maria Umar, founder and president of the Digital League. “Earning roughly $100 per month through this work could be a welcome amendment for Parveen -- one ne'er before possible in her city, or additional usually in West Pakistan, that has rock bottom gross domestic product per capita for ladies in South Asia.”

However, Umar cautioned that not everything shines bright in Hunza. For whereas attainment sparkles, jobs square measure scarce – she calculable that some ninety % of Hunza’s educated population is discharged. “With every social unit averaging eight individuals, solely male social unit members generally earn associate degree financial gain,” she wrote. “The for the most part discharged feminine population works within the fields or helps with social unit work.”

One answer to the Brobdingnagian state could make out IT endeavors just like the one Parveen works at. Now, many knowledgeable young Hunza residents square measure concerned in IT centers, several of that square measure funded by foreign NGOs, finding out e-marketing, e-accounting, content writing, programming, interchange market commercialism and internet style. it's hoped these courses can result in profitable jobs, each on-line and offline. Indeed, Umar indicated that West Pakistan could be a leader in on-line work, ranking fourth in skills on an inventory of 158 countries and third in total earnings. “This alone speaks to the talent within the country,” she said. “Women square measure at the forefront of this surge. on-line work is remodeling the role of girls across West Pakistan and giving opportunities for them in IT and on the far side.”

Although a number of the remote mountainous regions of northern and northwestern West Pakistan are scarred by militant Protestantism and coercion, Hunza has for the most part avoided such associations. Ashraf explained that teams just like the religious movement or Army of the Righteous don't have sturdy presence in Hunza, however he contended that such militants do exist within the close Gilgit and Chilas regions and will probably reach the vale to disrupt the law-and-order state of affairs there. “But individuals in Hunza vale square measure peaceable [and] typically avoid changing into a part of any extremist ideology,” Ashraf aforementioned. “Similarly, they need to this point with success discouraged extremist non secular teams from spreading their influence to Hunza.”

Nonetheless, the sheer image and name of northern West Pakistan as a haven for aggressiveness and sectarian violence has severely hurt the key business business in Hunza in recent years. “Hunza individuals earns from international business, not native business,” Ashraf expressed. “Therefore, coercion in different elements of West Pakistan is dangerous for international business within the northern a part of the country.”

One of the foremost far-famed of all young Pakistani girls, Samina Baig, World Health Organization has become associate degree icon of types when ascension the best mountains round the world, together with the tallest peak of all, mountain peak, hails from Hunza. Baig, solely twenty one years previous, desires to use her fame to push human rights and education for ladies in West Pakistan. “I need to inform girls in developing countries that they're as powerful as their male counterparts and that they will play associate degree equal role in their individual societies,” Samina told Agence France Presse. Speaking of her native Hunza, she gushed: “a woman kid has as equal rights as their male counterparts and our community will everything to teach feminine youngsters.”

Indeed, she aforementioned she was afraid by however completely different the remainder of West Pakistan appears from her beloved way northern vale. “When I came to the town for the primary time, I saw a totally completely different world, wherever individuals square measure less educated, impoverishment is widespread and [the] feminine could be a non-existent species compared to their male counterparts” she lamented. “But in my community, girls square measure as vital as males and that they square measure taking part in associate degree equal role within the society.”