Actor Aagha Ali raised issues in regards to the security of ladies in Pakistan and expressed his need for a society the place girls can freely journey with out the necessity for a companion. In a latest podcast along with his spouse Hina Altaf, and host Syed Ali, the actor mentioned the stark distinction between the convenience of shifting round independently in different nations and the restrictions confronted by girls in Pakistan.
Ali acknowledged the non secular and conservative nature of Pakistani society and highlighted the paradox the place males typically communicate passionately about girls’s rights, but unaccompanied girls are a uncommon sight on the streets of Pakistan.
“We [Pakistanis] are very religious, protective [and] conservative. Talk to any man about this and he’ll give you an entire speech on women’s rights but try looking around in Pakistan, there are barely any women unaccompanied on the roads.”
Drawing a comparability to their experiences in London, Ali and his spouse observed quite a few girls strolling alone or with feminine buddies, whereas, in Pakistan, the mere presence of a lady strolling alone raises questions and issues.
“I am not talking about after midnight, I am talking about during the day. You will never see a woman walking in a market, walking from one work to another or going home. Even if you do then she’ll be so scared,” he added.
The actor posed an essential query to those that declare to guard girls — If girls are actually secure within the nation, why do they not really feel safe? He advised that folks ought to journey and witness how girls dwell in different nations to achieve a greater understanding of this urgent problem.
We agree with the actor’s statement that males can freely navigate areas in Pakistan with out worry and that it’s important to deal with the experiences of ladies in Pakistan. Nevertheless, his assertion that ladies don’t enterprise out onto the streets unaccompanied is a generalisation that overlooks the fact that ladies do enterprise out independently for varied functions, together with work, buying or simply to dwell their lives.
Pakistan does lag behind different nations when it comes to secure public areas for ladies, however that doesn’t imply that ladies cloister themselves away. Girls too must work and for that they enterprise out onto the streets. When you take a public bus, for instance, you’ll see girls passengers going to work. You’ll see girls in markets, looking for their households, you’ll see them close to colleges, dropping off their kids, or strolling alongside streets to work.
Nevertheless, there’s a worry of harassment and undesirable consideration from males that hinders their capacity to totally get pleasure from and chill out in a public house. Consequently, it’s uncommon to see girls casually strolling on random streets or leisurely sitting alone in parks attributable to security issues.
Undeniably, there’s a urgent want to deal with the security issues of ladies in Pakistan and create an surroundings the place they really feel safe and empowered to maneuver freely. Although infrastructure, particularly in Karachi, has an enormous position to play on this, because it makes it nearly inconceivable to stroll on the roads since there are hardly any footpaths for folks to stroll on.
All in all, sure we have to see extra girls in public areas however that doesn’t imply they’re not there.
Actor Aagha Ali needs to see extra unaccompanied girls on the streets in Pakistan – Remark
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