A young woman’s struggle against tradition

One school in India has taken a unique approach to combating violence against women; teaching their students a Chinese martial art, writes reporter Jayisha Patel.

Student in a school in Hyderabad, India, fight each other in the martial art of Wushu. Source: SBS Dateline

When I first met Fareeha, I was struck by her vivacious personality.

Covered head to toe in a dupatta and accompanying hijab, she was anxiously awaiting her turn to fight her opponent in her Wushu self-defense class at school.

Wushu is a style of fighting derived from several forms of traditional Chinese martial arts, and Fareeha dreams of mastering it.

As soon as it was her turn, she flung her glasses across the floor and positioned herself against her opponent. In that moment nothing else seemed to matter to her – she just wanted to win the fight.

It is that sprit and her ability to challenge stereotypes that drew me to her story.

Fareeha comes from a conservative Muslim community in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad where traditional gender roles still exist, with women mainly staying in the home. Her faith-based Muslim school, nestled in the midst of this traditional community, subscribes to progressive attitudes towards women.

The teachers at the school would make it a point to inspire their female pupils during their morning assembly and let them know that their education and career were just as important as those of their male counterparts. The school also introduced Wushu to their female pupils, in a bid to increase their confidence and teach them to defend themselves against violence, which many women in the country experience.

Having spent time in her community, I could sense that there was a fear for girls' safety.

On occasions I heard Fareeha's neighbours talk about incidents of violence within the community and there were regular television reports about cases of sexual harassment across the country. This created a situation in which families within the community would not allow their daughters to venture out alone, in part to safeguard them against any potential attack.

This also curtails their freedom and independence, however, and to an extent accentuates the entrenched gender roles within the community. Thus, Fareeha's school really stood out for me, as they were not only trying to find a solution to the rising violence against women, but also doing it in a way so as to maintain their pupils' freedom.

Perhaps the most interesting part of following Fareeha's journey was the inspiring male figures in her life. Her head teacher, Sajid Sir, is a staunch advocate for women's rights and it was his idea to introduce wushu to the school ten years ago.

Likewise, Fareeha's father is perhaps her greatest supporter. While the rest of her family, including her mother, did not feel that such an art form was suitable for girls like Fareeha, it was her father who helped fight for her to continue doing the sport. It was heartwarming to see their close relationship and the sacrifices he made to allow his daughter to follow her dreams, in spite of opposition from his own family and, at times, from the wider community.

Although ‘India’s Wushu Warrior’ centres on Fareeha's fight to attend and attempt to win the a Wushu competition, at the heart of it lies a coming of age tale of a young women trying to challenge conservative traditions to gain her independence and her own identity.