Pakistan's Hazara women strike back with martial arts

These women live in Pakistan. They are learning karate. They want to be safe outside.

The women are from the Hazara group. They live in Quetta. The city is dangerous for Hazara women.

Men often touch Hazara women. The market and the bus aren't safe places.

Karate helps the women. They aren't afraid. They can go outside at night.

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."

Quetta has 25 karate schools. There are 4,000 karate students. In two large karate schools, most students are women.

Karate helps Hazara women. They can win money in competitions. Nargis Hazara and Kulsoon Hazara won medals in international competitions.

Not many women do sport in Pakistan. But this is changing. Karate teacher Fida Hussein Kazami says it's good for women.

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."

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