Posted in Women Empowerment

Why Do We Need to Teach Our Girls to Be Brave, Not Perfect?

Why Do We Need to Teach Our Girls to Be Brave, Not Perfect?
By Ahmad Amirali

Today, one of my previous students, who is now in her under graduation, approach and asked me a question that made me write that article. She said, she wants to complete her graduate studies and wants to apply for Fulbright scholarship. However, she was afraid that she might not make it through the last level because mostly everybody, from her friend circle to her relative, opposing her decision. Well, as a teacher and her well-wisher I said what I supposed to said that always listen to your heart and mind instead of people who hardly know who you are. Success and failure are depending on how much effort you put forward to achieve your goal. However, the question is, what makes her afraid of what she wants to achieve in her life? but before asking that question, one should ask, why she is afraid of whatever choices she wants to make herself for her future development? Continue reading →

7 Misconceptions about The Word ‘Feminist’

Seven Things The Word ‘Feminist’ Does Not Mean
By Suzannah Weiss

Recently, I had a heated debate with one of my colleagues on an event held in our city Karachi on International Women’s Day. I would not discuss the dispute or the discussion that infuriate the heated debate. However, I must ask a question; What does Feminist mean? There are many self-made definitions. Or I must say assumptions, that can be found on this topic. Does the word feminist about women’s right on the grounds of social, economic and political rights equal to men? Or it’s about Women’s Superiority over men? I feel that sometimes the message of women equality is presented and delivered so emotionally that the word itself lost its meaning. Continue reading →

March 8: Women Who Creates, Nurture and Transform

The Rising Voices of Women in Pakistan

The Rising Voices of Women in Pakistan
By Ahmad Amirali

If you search google for Pakistan, you might hear about bomb explosions or terrorist attacks etc. Well, this was the case five years ago. Recently, I read an article on Pakistan Cultural Heritage and the part of women in it. The author, Alice SU, creatively discusses the women’s role in Pakistani society where men once considered as a sole custodian of authority and leadership. This trend is drastically shifted since the past decades. In her article, Alice mainly engages with the context of Northern Areas of Pakistan GBC (Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral) and share her experiences of women empowerment of Hunza valley, Pakistan. Among many stories, the story which fascinated me was the marriage ceremony of a girl who belongs to the Isma’ili Shia community of Hunza valley. I like the story as Alice narrates ‘This bride is marrying for love rather than by family arrangement’. Change of mindset like these become possible when women like Rukshanda Naz raise their voices against racial and gender discrimination which was prevailing since decades in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Continue reading →