Women Power

A lot of men consider women to be weaker, less intellectual, and not capable of jobs that are too “masculine” for women. Even general jobs such as a receptionist, office-based, nursing, teaching is overlooked by men. From experience, I know the affect it has on girls. I have two wonderful cousins who are passionate to engage in engineering and fashion designing. Sadly they have been left with no choice but to stop their education. It saddens me to see such talent of young, bright girls go to waste. Families fear if they let their daughters be educated and work, the community will attack them. It’s understandable this makes them more skeptical to follow their heart. But change will not occur, women will not be given their freedom if we citizens do not demand it.

Twenty years ago today women were able to freely walk out of their homes. To work. To socialize. To educate. Today all of that has been lost. Rape victims are kept quiet to avoid being shamed. Women, even when fully covered, are still verbally abused with words of disgust and sexual references. They are pressured into starting a family when they don’t feel ready. Child marriages are at a peak.

The words of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, cannot be brushed under the rug. We, Pakistani women, were born to become great examples, achieve success and follow our passion. A society cannot continue nor succeed without the participation of both genders. We are the backbone to Pakistan’s stability. It’s time to lift our bats and play cricket outside. It’s time we socialized with our friends outside. It’s time we went to school/university and followed our career paths. It’s time we started demanding our freedom. It’s time men opened their small narrow-minded brains and gave us our fair equal chance in society. If women continue to be oppressed/abused/degraded/hidden and stopped then Pakistan and the government should watch out for our rebellion.

Every human (man or woman) has equal rights.

“No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men”. Quaid e Azam. Pakistan has forgotten the value of women. Their existence is almost ignored. Their freedom. Their rights. Their happiness. Their passion to succeed in their chosen profession. Living, if not surviving in a patriarchal society, women of all ages are left disadvantaged. In many areas in Pakistan from the beginning of childhood, girls are brainwashed into believing their only place and value in this life, in Pakistan is to get married. Have kids. Be a housewife. Yes, of course, there is nothing wrong in choosing this path if they are not forced into it. Many are left with no choice than to accept their future lies in domestic duties.

Take off the blindfold. Remove the gag. And shout “Women Power”. 

Blog Post by Zarka Jamal