Zahra Bibi is the First Professional Female Butcher in Pakistan

Now that she’s done it, she’s paving the way for others.

Pakistan's only female butcher

While women are slowly but surely making their way into most professions which were once considered men’s terrain, there are some areas where there’s a marked absence of womenfolk. But thank to women like Zahra Bibi, Pakistan’s only female butcher, that makes it all the more exceptional.

For those who are going to say that surely Zahra Bibi can’t possibly be Pakistan’s only female butcher, apparently there’s good reason to believe shes so. For starters, she is the only one who faces customers at the counter, making it obvious she’s the butcher at her shop,

Zahra Bibi says there’s agood reason for this. Even though working in the background, with a man at the counter can be easier, she had no such choice.


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Zahra is upfront about how she ended up doing this. She applied for a job and was hired in the chicken butchery.

“Domestic needs compelled me to get out of the house and start working after one of my brothers died. Nobody works for fun you see; there’s a need that makes everyone take up jobs. We live in a rented house and my other brother was the only breadwinner. It was time I helped him and my family.”

How Zahra Bibi Became a Butcher

Pakistan's only female butcher
Zahra Bibi at work as a the butcher

Zahra is a small-town lady from Samsani village of Johar Town. Her family comprises of three sisters and two brothers. When one of her brothers passed away, she set out to earn for the family.

Her other two sisters are happily married. Now she has her mother, a brother and a sister-in-law at home.

It all started two years ago when Zahra quit her job at an embroidery shop in a plaza in Model Bazaar. She had worked at the shop for four to five years but had to quit due to payment delays.


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That’s when she had the time to say hi to a friend whilst she was out buying roti. Her friend worked at the Emporium Mall’s supermarket, Carrefour, operated in Pakistan by Majid Al Futtaim.

She got the job and landed in the chicken butchery section. At first it was hard but she was trained for four to five months by a French trainer.

Now she regularly butchers around 15-16 whole chickens in a day on her regular 9-6 grind. She thanks her boss, her senior Azam, the store’s General Managar Kyoung Mun Lee and butchery section manager Zohaib for supporting her all the way.

What Pakistan’s Only Female Butcher Says About Discrimination at the Job

Pakistan's only female butcher
Pakistan’s only female butcher thanks her colleagues for their support

Whilst Zahra’s family and co-workers may be accepting of her trade, butchery is considered a man’s terrain.

Most customers are actually appreciative of Zahra’s bravery and skills.

“Customers have been really happy to see me taking up such a job that was considered a man’s territory so far.”


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Yet, even Zahra had to face discrimination from at least one person, a customer. The man refused to buy chicken from the butchery because they had a female butcher.

“I was a woman and that this wasn’t a woman’s job. I asked him if he thought women were any less than men and if there was any difference between a man and a woman in current times.”

Pakistan's only female butcher
Zahra Bibi now has a regular list of customers that only buy meat butchered by her

That one incident didn’t deter Zahra from owning her title of ‘qasai‘ (Urdu word for butcher). In fact Zahra asked her boss to be shifted to the beef and mutton section. Her boss assured her that eventually she would be placed in the heavier section and be separately trained for beef and mutton butchery.

“I firmly believe that women aren’t any less than men in any field, and I think I’ve proven that. Any woman who is willing and wants to do something for herself, her family should support her in whatever she chooses to do. “

via Images