Our Women Are Free: Gender and Ethnicity in the Hindukush FROM THE PUBLISHER
An exploration of the lives of women among the Kalasha, a tiny, vibrant community in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province.
SYNOPSIS
The Kalasha are a dynamic community of about three thousand people living
in three tiny finger valleys near Chitral, Pakistan. A tumultuous history
has left them the only remaining practitioners of cultural and religious
traditions that once extended across the Hindukush into Afghanistan. The
Kalasha differ in many ways from the conservative Muslim communities now
surrounding them.
Yet despite their obvious religious differences with nearby communities,
when asked what makes the Kalasha unique, both men and women often reply,
"Our women are free" (homa istrizia azat asan). The concept that Kalasha
women are "free" (azat), that they have "choice" (chit), is a topic of
spirited conversation among the Kalasha. It touches at the heart of both
individual women's identities and the collective identity of the community.
Our Women are Free introduces the historical and cultural landscape of the
Kalasha and describes the role that "women's freedom" plays as an ethnic
marker for the entire community. Throughout the narrative, Wynne Maggi
stays close to conversations and events that illustrate the daily life of
the community, focusing particularly on the Kalasha people's sense of
humor; on the pleasure they take in work, children, ritual, and
relationships; as well as on the complexity and seriousness of their social
lives.
Accessible and thought-provoking, Our Women are Free will be of interest to
professional anthropologists, area scholars, and other social scientists.
ACCREDITATION
Wynne Maggi teaches anthropology and women's studies at the University of
Colorado.
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