Voices of the Unvoiced: Women’s Struggle for Education in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Shabana Shamaas Gul Khattak, Anthem Press, London, 2025, xxxii + 208 pp., $110.00 (hardback), ISBN-13: 978-1-83999-267-4.

Voices of the Unvoiced is a deeply moving and painstakingly researched book, which explores the various challenges faced by Pakhtun women as they seek education in the culturally complex and war-torn province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. An academic treatise and personal testament, this book is the result of five years of intense research, including a doctoral dissertation and postdoctoral study. It combines feminist theory, socio-historical analysis, and ethnographic storytelling to highlight the tenacity and resilience of (Pakhtun) women in a patriarchal society. It offers a timely reflection on gender, education, and empowerment in a region grappling with the legacies of armed conflict and cultural conservatism.