Hazara women are learning karate - 7th May 2021

Hundreds of Pakistan's Hazara women are taking karate lessons. They are learning to keep themselves safe.

Most Hazara people are Shia Muslims. In Quetta, Pakistan, Hazara are the main group. But they have to live together for safety.

Hazara women often get touched by men. They have problems in streets, markets and on buses.

Now, many Hazara women feel more confident because they are learning karate.

Nargis Batool: "So, we can never stop these bomb blasts by our karate, this is obvious. But there is one thing else - the, it is a self defence. Suppose, you can freely, confidently go anywhere at night and you can just defend yourself that way.

"But there was one time my friend, somebody was just teasing her on the way. And when I went to that guy, he never teased him, her again. But I never kicked him or slap him or anything like that."

There are now 4,000 people learning karate in 25 karate schools. The two largest karate schools teach more women than men.

Many Hazara women enter karate contests to win prizes. Nargis Hazara and Kulsoon Hazara's success in international competitions has made karate more popular.

In Pakistan, few women play sports very much. But change is happening. Fida Hussain Kazmi teaches karate. He says it gives women opportunities.

Fida Hussain Kazmi: "Apart from self-defence, it has many benefits. It has health benefits. There are many opportunities for females in karate. It allows girls to be appointed in various departments so that they can support their home and make the country famous at an international level."