"Life of Thoughts" by Malaika Noor

Thoughts stem from the grooming and experiences in someone’s life, just as flowers stem from their roots. Flowers bloom when they are fully grown; similarly we grow when we bloom as we become adults. The care, nurture, emotions, and ways we believe are incurred in our thoughts as we bloom towards adulthood and play our roles in the society and as a community. However, the glorious symbol of a flower is given to women, who symbolize the different colors of beauty: the different scents of comfort and security: the different forms of love that we all treasure. Unfortunately, not many flowers are given the opportunity, or the freedom to bloom to their fullest and that is how they struggle to find their freedom. Similarly women in my country struggle to find their place of freedom and respect.

We would all be naive to think that everything is perfect in Pakistan. We would also be tone-deaf to think about the back-drop of what’s going on in this country. The Social structure of Pakistan revolves around the dominance of a man and the superiority of their role. However women play a much different role in this society. The patriarchal culture in Pakistan has been at its highest peak for the past hundred years and has brought in the social norms and cultural beliefs to Pakistan by displaying males as dominant figures through their interpretation of religion and science, believing that men are physically and mentality more capable than women in every aspect of life. Comparing only the strength of a man’s body to the all the characters of a women. With patriarchal culture spreading these absurd ideas and leading us to the conclusion that men deserve more respect and privilege’s than women, resulting in little and no equality between men and women.

The mind of a child is known to be sensitive and to absorb whatever knowledge is put forward to it. Therefore, parents play a key role in the values of their child. Many families in Pakistan discourage their female family members to believe in the education of women from a young age. By making them, prepare for their marriage life instead of their academic future, leading to many female dropouts in high school and universities. Also this Direction leads to many women not perusing their careers. Women are unaware in this society that it is not an obligation to follow the thoughts, opinions and commands of all men for instance, many women are ordered by their husbands, fathers and even brothers  to leave their jobs , academics ,and futures to pursue the life of a caretaker , mother , or even just remain in seclusion or isolation Instead it has become a women’s obligation to be a dutiful wife, mother, sister or daughter and to treat all men as their owners rather than being owned by one’s self. They are not given enough value as women to believe in their opinions about things therefor, the privilege of influence over others is given to a man.

When girls are of age, they must be wearing more layers of clothing. This begins usually during young adolescence where young girls who show any of their features or curves such as arms , legs and any amount of her skin to others is considered  shameless, giving her less value for her actions of only revealing her beauty .Therefor, even wearing  tight jeans or shirts are out of the question. Culturally women are allowed only to enhance their beauty for instance through makeup or clothing only after they are of the age of marriage. As it will attract someone from a well-off family or even increase the praise given to the girl by others who see her but this choice is only made by those who control her which may include her family. 

Most disturbingly, domestic abuse, violence, and honor killings are very common occurring’s in Pakistan. It is however, a very private and small matter as it is something that some people have allowed in the society. It is not considered a crime to use violence against a female for her actions if they are not socially or culturally accepted. Initially, abuse exists where a young girl disrespects or disobeys her parents until it is done in the name honor. For instance many women who want to marry a person of their choice are instead forced with the use of physically and mental abuse to marry a person of the families’ choice or where a woman rejects to be sold for marriage is killed in the name of honor. Moreover, there are very unpleasant forms of domestic abuse which regularly occurs in households where many husbands physically and mentally abuses their wives to maintain their hierarchy in the household, to make women be perceived lower than them. Such acts are carried out by all men in the society including fathers, brothers, and husbands and even including females such as mothers who live in fear for their reputation in the society.

In all cases shame and fear is a weapon used against women in Pakistan. As it is the reason why women follow all these cultural norms put over them by the dominant male society because they fear they will be degraded by the people if they question the things that are unfair. Even though their place is the society is still not what they initially deserve they still live in fear of disappointing and fighting for their equal rights as women. Therefore, we should build a platform for women to be allowed to take the opportunity to express their opinion: their thoughts: their emotions: their ambitions to grow: their freedom to be alive and their potential to be used.  

Women carry the power of giving life and creating it within their womb, which they carry for nine months. Babies are born with the natural gift of a bond with their mothers that bond is only given to a women in this universe. The significance of their life is far greater than what people in Pakistan have given them unfortunately, it is still considered is a curse to be born as a female in a society like Pakistan. 

Women have made their mark throughout history around the world proving that women in fact carry infinite amount of potential and ambition such as Shirley Anita Chisholm who the first black American politician in 1968 who was elected for congress, Malala Yousafzai who is a Pakistani activists for female education including, the youngest Noble prize winner, Susan Brownell Anthony who was a social reformer and a women’s rights activist, Coretta Scott king who was active leader of the Civil rights Movement ,Ruth Bader Ginsburg who was the second appointed Female supreme Court Justice and well known for being a women’s rights advocate, Betty Friedan’s who was an author of one of the most influential novel that changed the lives of countless “happy homemakers”, knows as The Feminine Mystique and many others who have made their names in history.

We should be outraged at the mistreatment of women in Pakistan, not only for equality but as human beings to have let such horrific beliefs and traditions be continued for so long. If we can’t treat women with dignity and respect then we must change the way we think .We must give value to males and females equally. This is why equality must dominate in a country like Pakistan where such unfair treatment of women occurs. For equality to become adopted by men and women, it must be allowed to grow within the society. Firstly, it should be given the blessings of all men and women to establish its principles and its character: it should become a known form of life and the way we should live life; it should not divide us but gravitate all of us towards mutual appreciation of genders and equal respect for the same sexes. Similar ideologies such feminism which is the political, ideological, social movement that shares the goal to achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes should be taught, understood and followed by all members of the society and community in Pakistan.  Moreover Parliament should pass new legislation against the mistreatment and violence used against women and it should allow the rights of women to enter its legal sphere. Most importantly since media allows ideas to be expressed more easily and quickly the mainstream media in Pakistan should divert its attention and content towards the domination of equality between men and women because media it plays an influential part in the lives of the younger generation. Lastly a women’s value should be revealed to the people of Pakistan because it is has a society extremely lacking respect and appreciation for women of its country.