GENDERED BARRIERS AND POLITICAL EXCLUSION: FEMALE STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN CAMPUS POLITICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PESHAWAR

Abstract

This research explores the barriers to female students’ participation in student politics at the University of Peshawar. Through conversations with students, federation members, and faculty, the study brings forward how culture, family expectations, and daily campus practices shape women’s place in political activities. The findings show that the problem is not a lack of interest from women, but a mix of honour, fear, institutional silence and the way politics on campus has been shaped almost entirely by men. Many young women feel that these political groups are not safe or serious spaces for them, and that their presence is often limited to being seen rather than being heard. Even then, some students continue to raise their voices in quieter ways, through study circles, volunteer work, and small acts of courage that challenge the limits placed on them. Their efforts show that political participation does not always begin with loud speeches, but sometimes with the simple act of refusing to disappear. The study highlights the need for stronger university policies, supportive faculty, and student bodies that genuinely include women, so that campuses can become places where female students can speak, lead, and imagine political futures without fear. “We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” ~ Malala Yousafzai