Hearing a female voice on the radio may be nothing new the world over but it is something of a novelty in the rugged mountainous terrain of Pakistan's northwest, where women are bringing about modernization via the airwaves. For most people in the region – the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) known for its strict male domination – hearing female voices on the recently established FM channel, Radio Khyber, is not only a pleasant surprise but also a sign of much awaited social change. The new station, set up by the FATA authorities, aims to counter several illegal stations run by the extremists who air anti-West and pro-Jihad propaganda and has raised a few eyebrows for breaking away from social norms in the region severely hit by the Taliban-led insurgency. “We initially got a tough response and often resistance for having women. We had to air songs asked for by women under men’s names. But now situation is gradually easing out,” a station official said. “We’re glad to have become a harbinger for change that was awaited for long,” said another official.
With an initial six hour transmission, divided into two three-hour segments in the morning and evening, Radio Khyber provides its listeners with a blend of news, music, talk shows with live responses and carefully edited programs on health, education and social issues including taboo subjects, but discussions on religious issues are discouraged. The station's female broadcasters hail from local towns and other nearby cities and they take pride in pioneering the success of women in the area. “We have made a dream come true, and now women have become a reality in the local media which is going to stay forever,” said a beaming female reporter.