For years Zari, 40, a housewife, from Bajaur, would walk several kilometres to fetch water and collect firewood. Her travail ended after her husband got a job as the principal of a boys’ school in Khar. But it pains her to see that women in her village still carry on with this harsh work day after day. If she is elected, she told Dawn.com, her priority would be to "work towards providing clean drinking water for her area women and to ensure health facilities for them".

Unlike the traditional tribal men, her husband Mohammad Sultan, is "very happy and excited" about her decision and has given her a green signal. "I am very proud of her," he said, adding that he will support her against all odds.

Zari, the first ever woman from Fata, made history when she submitted her nomination papers for the coming elections. The second woman who is sharing he limelight is Nusrat Khan, a 28-year mother of seven, who has decided to take matters into her hand and contest the coming elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) Lower Dir as an independent candidate.

If Islam allows female education, why aren't girls allowed to go to school and if men are not against girls’ education, why are there not enough schools for them; why is there such a deplorable health system which is, at best, non-functional; why are women not allowed to vote ill be some of the questions she is going to put across to the tribal women in the coming days.

Hopefully, she would also have a demand to change these things.

"It's a good first step," said Ibrash Pasha a rights activist working with a non-governmental organisation,  Khwenda Kor, and has long been sensitizing and mobilising the women in KP and Fata to participate in the political process.

"Our work is finally bearing fruit!" he said, but added, "I doubt if they will be able to bag any seats, but they would have sent a strong message and set a precedent for others to come."

Women were barred from voting at 564 of the country's 64,176 polling stations in the 2008 general elections. Government data indicates that Pakistan has more than 48 million registered male voters and just more than 37 million female registered voters.

Fata, bordering Afghanistan, comprises seven tribal agencies and six frontier regions and is directly governed by Pakistan's central government through a special set of laws called the Frontier Crimes Regulations. In recent times, the region has seen the Pakistan security forces embattled with the Taliban.

The semi-autonomous tribal region holds a very conservative view of the role of women in society and follows a very conservative brand of Islam. Most women are not allowed to venture out of their homes, and if they have to appear in public, they have to be covered from head to toe.

So for women like Khan, contesting without the support of a political party is a giant step. "This is a thousand times better than contesting on a reserved seat,” said Pasha.

For years, women were not allowed to even exercise their right to vote, let alone contest elections, especially in Fata.

"Women have been kept away from all kinds of political processes in the name of religion and tradition, by the local notables," said Pasha.

According to the Free and Fair Election Network, an Islamabad based organization that observes elections and mobilizes voters, women were barred from voting at 564 of the country's 64,176 polling stations in the 2008 general elections. Government data indicates that Pakistan has more than 48 million registered male voters and just more than 37 million female registered voters.

The Election Commission of Pakistan's proposal that it would nullify the result of the constituencies where less than 10 per cent of the total women registered voters did not go out to vote was rejected by political parties on the basis of security concerns. The parliament also did not pass legislation to ensure women's participation in the electoral process.

However, at a recent all parties conference last week, all political parties including the religious ones like the Jamat-e- Islami and Jamiat Ulema agreed not to bar women from voting.

While many Pakistani women, like former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, have held powerful positions, Pasha explained "these are usually from the rich powerful elite, not from the grass roots and therefore these two women need to be applauded for the courage they have shown."

But that is not all, it also shows a new and refreshing side of Fata which has become synonymous with militancy, drone attacks and as a safe haven for the Taliban.

"I don't think the image of the region will change any time soon just because women are contesting from there. Before long, there will be another attack on a girls' school or a female health worker will be targeted," rued Rahimullah Yusufzai, a political analyst and resident editor of The News, in Peshawar.

But Pasha has seen a sea of change in the last decade as far as women's participation is concerned. Back in 2001, he recalled his organisation was stopped from distributing nomination forms to women to participate in local bodies elections and only a little over a dozen women who stood became councillors.

By 2005, the stance of the local tribal leaders had softened somewhat, and 150 women became councillors and by 2013 women are seen contesting the general elections.

"The men ran out of excuses on both religious and Pakhtun traditions grounds when it was pointed out that women members from religious parties were sitting in the parliament," said Pasha, who also belongs to Lower Dir.

Dr Attiya Inayatullah, who has served in the last two terms, said that the news of the women from Fata participating in the elections, was wonderful news.  Acutely aware of the "right of centre" climate prevailing in the Lower House with a "feudal and chauvinistic mindset by and large" but, she said the Fata women, if they manage to get the seats, will not find themselves completely at sea as the fraternity of women parliamentarians would be all out to help them. "The bond is quite strong," she emphasized.

Being an independent contestant, Nusrat has already sold her jewellery and two motorcycles her sons owned, to have enough money to prepare for canvassing.

But will the conservative and extremist elements in these tribal areas allow these women to hold rallies? What about the threat from the Taliban who cannot stand women being seen in public spaces?

"I am not afraid of them, I want to be the instrument for change and in any case life and death is in God's hand," said an undaunted Khan who will be standing for NA 34 from Timergara, in Lower Dir.

"Given the security situation, I don't think she will be able hold rallies. Additionally, the women she wants to address may not be allowed to leave their homes," pointed out Pasha. Instead, he suggested that women contestants should go to the women, closer to their doorstep and talk to them about what ails their society and holds them back from making strides.

Yusufzai agreed with Pasha that these women will not be campaigning publicly, adding that they are less likely to face a threat from the Taliban.

"I doubt if these women are going to be a priority of the Taliban who would rather be targeting the PPP and the ANP etc," pointed out Ysufzai.

It is now up to the state to ensure they are safe; for if something untoward happens, it may derail the process of tribal women's emancipation even before it has taken root.

"Malala was attacked and it scared people for a while but it didn't stop them from sending their daughters to school," said Pasha. He said these women will also overcome the barriers they face as the status quo has to end and change has to come. “It just may take longer, but it will happen," Pasha is quite convinced.