As women increasingly feature in the Baloch insurgency, their participation is often portrayed as a symbol of empowerment and resistance. However, critics argue that this narrative may conceal deeper concerns about recruitment, manipulation and exploitation.
As people committed to justice, we have a responsibility to raise concerns about exploitation, particularly of vulnerable groups, wherever they may be in the world.
The role of women in the Baloch insurgency has become one of the most contentious and emotionally charged aspects of the conflict in Pakistan's south-west.
While groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and their supporters often present female participation as a symbol of empowerment and resistance, a compelling counterargument deserves closer examination.
In recent years, the emergence of female suicide bombers and the use of women in militant propaganda have been celebrated by some as evidence of women's agency within the insurgency.
