Tag: feminism

  • Saba Hamid’s recollection of her feminist parents is what every Pakistani parent needs to hear

    Saba Hamid’s recollection of her feminist parents is what every Pakistani parent needs to hear

    Responsible parenting everyone needs to take some good notes from!

    Veteran actress Saba Hamid was a guest on Maliha Rehman’s Youtube channel where she opened up about her childhood, especially the impact her late father, journalist Hameed Akhtar, had on her.

    “My father was a feminist,” described the actress, adding that “He was a big believer in equal rights till his last breath from day one.”

    Speaking about her family, the ‘Jaisay Apki Marzi’ actress said she was one of four daughters and obe son but her parents never made them feel like there was inequality between them on the basis of gender. Hamid elaborated how chores around the house that are generally male-oriented like calling the plumber, or driving, were taught to all the siblings. Her parents also didn’t put any restrictions on their daughters while allowing their son to stay out late. “I was scolded just as much as he was if he stayed out late.”

    These teachings, Saba observed, made her assume that the world would treat men and women equally the way her father had. But soon grew to realise that it was the opposite.

    The ‘Laal Ishq’ actress further opened up about how liberated her mother was, not seeking permission from their father to go anywhere because he gave her liberation. She spoke about her mother announcing to their father that she was visiting her sister in Islamabad for a day, and his reaction being simply “okay”.

    “We grew up thinking this is how it is, this is the way the world is. It was quite later I realised you had to seek permission from a partner to go somewhere.”

    We are completely moved by Saba’s account of her father and his gentle parenting that made her into the fierce woman she is today- and also helped her raise two phenomenally powerful individuals like Meesha and Faris Shafi. We hope more parents, especially fathers to newborn daughters, watch this clip and take a lesson in how giving girls independence can help them later in life.

  • Mahira Khan’s marriage shows families just aren’t about father, mother, children: they can be different and happy

    Mahira Khan’s marriage shows families just aren’t about father, mother, children: they can be different and happy

    It was a picture of serenity, one that won the hearts of millions of Pakistan. A 38-year-old single mother looking stunning in a light outfit walked down the aisle, shedding tears of joy as she married the love of her life, Salim Karim. For the past three days, Mahira Khan’s wedding was all anyone could talk about, and one many women are expressing joy about. One user shared a picture of Mahira as a bride, alongside veteran celebrity couple Manzar Sehbai and Samina Ahmed (who both married at a later age) with the caption “Love and life are worth trying for”, which pretty much sums up why we are feeling so emotionally attached to the event. Not because it’s a celebrity who got married, but because she chose to marry on her own terms, and kept advocating throughout her career that families can be complex and unique.

    Mahira Khan married during the beginning of her career, to Ali Askari, whom she called her “childhood sweetheart” in some interviews. This decision, she revealed during a session at Faiz International Festival, was something other people urged her not to follow, because it might harm her career.

    “You’re just 21 years old!’ Mahira recalled Ghazanfar Ali telling her, when she was working as a VJ.

    “Career, career, career, it didn’t make sense to me. I just wanted to get married,” said Mahira. She spoke about how she objected to the concept that a film heroine is not allowed to get married or have a baby, and has to, in a way, remain “an untouched girl” to the public, while the same isn’t expected from the man.

    The couple got divorced in 2015, but Mahira maintained that it was not out of enmity, as the two continued to remain close friends even to this day. She maintains a cordial relationship with him to this day

    “I think that Azlan’s father and their family and my family, we are on the same page, when it comes to Azlan,” the actress told Fuchsia in 2021. “I’m very close to them, even now, as I have grown up in their house. It takes work, it takes swallowing your pride at times, and it takes trying to understand the other person. And for your child’s sake, you do it. If you’re lucky that people from both sides are good and looking at the child’s well-being and true happiness, then you forget the bitterness.”

    She also revealed recently to Frieha Altaf that their relationship wasn’t abusive, and the two continued to remain good friends to this day, while ensuring that Azlan remained their top-most priority.

    Such words coming from a woman hold a lot of weight as she is currently one of Pakistan’s top-paid actresses, and also one who comes from a country where divorce is treated like a plague. A 2021 report said atleast 19,875 households in Pakistan were headed by single mothers, but the majority of our pop culture loathes divorcees and does it openly. Only this year, two of the most critically acclaimed dramas consisted of women forcefully married to a man their family chose.

    Mahira’s marriage is a lighthouse moment, proving that families can comprises of two parents and a child, but can also include a step-parent, or even just a single mother. Her wedding wasn’t typical, a powerful reminder that you can settle when you want and choose how to celebrate your wedding. One picture that made the most rounds on social media and earned a lot of praise was when the actress walked down the aisle with her son.

    Many users highlighted the beauty of this picture, an actress being given away by the son she raised on her own as a single mother, to the man she married for love. There’s nothing more beautiful than this moment, no matter how many celebrity weddings we watch in the future, watching Mahira gracefully embrace her ‘imperfect’ family, while encouraging other Pakistani women to do so, is the catharsis we all needed.

  • FIFA suspends Spain soccer chief Luis Rubiales amid row over kiss with Women’s World Cup winner

    FIFA suspends Spain soccer chief Luis Rubiales amid row over kiss with Women’s World Cup winner

    FIFA has provisionally suspended Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish soccer federation, from “all football-related activities” over his controversial kiss with Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, as per CNN.

    Rubiales has been refusing to stand down over the incident, which happened at the medal ceremony last Sunday after Spain won the tournament.

    World soccer’s governing body FIFA said Rubiales was initially suspended for 90 days and also said that neither Rubiales nor the Spanish football federation were allowed to contact Hermoso in order to preserve her “fundamental rights.”

    UEFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have also been informed of the decision, FIFA said, adding that further information would be provided when disciplinary proceedings had been concluded.

    Spanish soccer boss Luis Rubiales on Friday refused to quit for grabbing star player Jenni Hermoso’s head and kissing her on the lips after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory, leading 56 national team members to mutiny and the government to denounce his “macho actions”.

    In a joint statement sent via their FUTPRO union, all 23 of the cup-winning squad including Hermoso, as well as 32 other squad members said they would not play internationals while Rubiales remains head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

    In the same statement, Hermoso denied Rubiales’ allegation that the kiss he gave her at the medal ceremony after Spain beat England 1-0 in the World Cup final in Sydney, Australia, was consensual.

    “I do not tolerate it when my word is put into doubt and less so when words that I have not said are invented,” she wrote.

    At an emergency meeting of the federation called for Friday Rubiales had been widely expected to stand down. But instead he said he refused to quit and complained that “false feminists” were “trying to kill me”.

    He called the kiss a “little peck” that was “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual”. He also claimed that he asked Hermoso if he could kiss her and that she said “OK”.

    “Is a consensual peck going to take me out of here? I won’t resign. I will fight until the end,” said Rubiales, 46, drawing applause from the predominantly male audience.

    The government, which cannot sack Rubiales, will seek to have him suspended using a legal procedure before a sports tribunal, the head of the state-run sports council CSD, Victor Francos, told reporters.

    “We want all this to be a ‘Me Too’ of Spanish soccer,” Francos said.

    Criticism of Rubiales’ behaviour after Spain’s win has built throughout the week, and acting Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz called his speech on Friday “unacceptable”.

    She wrote on social media: “The government must act and take urgent measures: impunity for macho actions is over. Rubiales cannot continue in office.”

    Acting Equality Minister Irene Montero said the state prosecutor and the CSD should act to protect Hermoso.

    FIFA opened disciplinary procedures against Rubiales on Thursday after Hermoso said in a statement her union was working to defend her interests and that such acts should “never go unpunished”.

    ‘ATTACKING FEMINISM’

    Rubiales’ comments on Friday and the applause he received at the event were widely scorned on social media.

    In a post on X, journalist Javier Gallego Crudo described the meeting as “an assembly where a man, cornered by his own misogynist actions, ends up attacking feminism… blames the woman and is applauded by other men. No better illustration of patriarchy”.

    The government said it had started a proceeding to take Sunday’s incident before a sports tribunal. If it can be proven that the kiss was non-consensual, Rubiales could even be tried under a sexual violence law introduced by the ruling Socialists last year.

    A tribunal would have seven members, three of them women, and Francos said the CSD could suspend Rubiales during the investigation if the tribunal agrees.

    Gender issues have become a prominent topic in Spain in recent years. Tens of thousands of women have taken part in street marches protesting sexual abuse and violence.

    The coalition government has presided over legal reforms including around equal pay, abortion, sex work and transgender rights.

    “This is unacceptable. It´s over. We’re with you, teammate Jenni Hermoso,” fellow player Alexia Putellas said on X after Friday’s federation meeting.

    Some male players also protested.

    Borja Iglesias of Real Betis, who last played for Spain in 2022, said on X he would not put himself forward for selection for the national team “until things change and these kinds of acts don’t remain unpunished”.

    At the event on Sunday, Rubiales was also seen grabbing his crotch in celebration while standing next to Queen Letizia in a box at the stadium, for which he apologised on Friday.

    The international football players union FIFPro said in a statement it had written to UEFA, where Rubiales is vice president, requesting that it start disciplinary proceedings. UEFA declined to comment.

    “I am embarrassed by the shame that it continues to be for Spanish football to have a president of the (RFEF) who continues to cling to office,” FIFPro President David Aganzo said.

    Rubiales met with key federation members shortly before the assembly and told them about his plans not to resign, according to a federation source.

    The only person who objected was Rafael del Amo, president of the national committee for women’s football, who said he would step down from his roles, which also included the vice presidency of the federation.

  • ‘Cringe’: Nadia Jamil does NOT like Barbie at all

    ‘Cringe’: Nadia Jamil does NOT like Barbie at all

    Not your Barbie girl?

    While the rest of the world (completely excluding Punjab) is celebrating the release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, veteran actress Nadia Jamil seems to not share the same opinion. Jamil took to Twitter to share some of the problems she noticed in the film.

    In her Twitter post, the ‘Sitara Aur Mehrunisa’ actress shared that the film mocked a pregnant doll, who was only shown twice.

    “Being pregnant is the most natural thing in the world. Get over it. To encourage little girls to see it as something repulsive is an awful idea,” she wrote.

    She went on to write that the film also discouraged flat feet, calling them ‘beautiful’.

    “I have flat feet. They are beautiful. I dont know why everyone is puking over flat feet. Another unhealthy thing to teach little kids.”

    Nadia also shared the film was not interested in supporting equality because it encourages “bullying and domineering men”

    “The Barbie world is awful/cruel 2 the Ken’s & Barbies are never interested in equality. They are interested in bullying & domineering men,almost in revenge 4 the real world. Another s**** message 2 kids.”

    Read her complete post:

    Some Twitter users did not agree with Nadia’s take. One user wrote:

    “You missed the entire point. It’s a satirical take on beauty standards perpetuated by ‘Stereotypical Barbie,’ which is the Robbie’s character’s name. The OTT manner in which this is conveyed is to highlight the absurdity of these notions. Her entire journey is one of unlearning.”

    Another user pointed out that the film was a satire that was mocking the brand

  • Woman allegedly raped after false promises of marriage

    Woman allegedly raped after false promises of marriage

    A woman was allegedly raped in Islamabad after being tricked by false promises of marriage.

    According to Geo News, the incident was reported in the capital city on Monday. Police said that the suspect lured the victim by making fake promises of marriage. He then raped her as she traveled from Lahore to Islamabad.

    He also stole the victim’s valuables including her mobile phone, cash and a suit case loaded with clothes.

    The victim stated that when she moved back to Lahore the suspect tricked her again with false promises and raped her after inviting her to the capital city.

    A case has been registered by the police against the suspect and an investigation is underway.

  • South Asian men becoming more violent with climate change, scientists claim

    South Asian men becoming more violent with climate change, scientists claim

    According to a study published by JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday, the rising temperatures in South Asia caused by climate change has led to a rise in domestic violence inflicted upon women and girls.

    Researchers completed the study by gathering data of physical, emotional and sexual abuse from 194,871 girls and women between the ages of 15 to 49 from countries like India, Pakistan and Nepal between the years 2010 and 2018.

    Their results have shown that with every one degree rise in temperature, there was an eight per cent hike in physical violence, a 7.3 per cent rise in sexual violence, and a 4.9% increase in domestic violence.

    The study has warned that domestic violence is likely to rise by 21 per cent by the end of the century because of the “unlimited emissions scenario”, with India likely to see a 23.5 per cent increase, 14.8 per cent in Nepal and 5.9 per cent in Pakistan.

    A report by Amnesty International has called for global leaders to take action against rising heatwaves in Pakistan, stating that the country was on the “frontlines of the climate crisis” despite producing less than one per cent of planet-warming gases.

    “Despite their small contribution to climate change, its people face disproportionately severe consequences which are often life threatening. Tackling a climate crisis of this scale requires global attention and action. Wealthier countries must make no mistake about the important role they play,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty’s deputy regional director in South Asia.

    The report revealed that after speaking to 45 people in the summers of 2021 and 2022 from Lahore and Jacobabad, where temperatures had reached 52C, the human rights organisation revealed that people complained about heatstroke, shortness of breathe and dizziness, with some needing hospital care.

    People who were interviewed for the study belonged to professions at a higher risk of exposure to heat, such as working in agriculture, brick kilns, factories or delivery men.

    The organisation also shared that 40 million Pakistanis suffer from constant power outrages, while others receive erratic power supplies due to lengthy outrages.

    “People living in poverty do not have access to, or are unable to afford, electricity for fans or air conditioning units and neither can they afford to buy solar panels,” the report said.

  • Survey resurfaces: 40 per cent Pakistani men believe beating wife justified five years ago

    Survey resurfaces: 40 per cent Pakistani men believe beating wife justified five years ago

    According to a resurfaced Demographic and Health survey taken in 2018 by the National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS), around 40 per cent men agreed that a husband is justified in beating his wife.

    However, the reasons for beating were as follows: If she burns his food, goes out without his permission, neglects his children or refuses to have sex with him. Surprisingly, 42 per cent women had also agreed with the statement. Around 34 per cent women, the report reveals, had experienced spousal violence, whether it was physical, sexual or emotional.

    The report states that 28 per cent married women had experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and 15 per cent women had experienced violence in the past year.

    Up to seven per cent married women admitted that they experienced violence during their pregnancy.

    On experiencing sexual violence, six per cent married women had experienced sexual violence and the most common perpetuator was revealed to be the husband, while 14 per cent women who were divorced, seperated or widowed had experienced sexual violence.

    Moving on to financial stability and empowerment, the survey reported that only 19 per cent married women had been working in the past 12 months, compared to 98 per cent married men.

    Half of the married women who are employed and earned an income, made independent decisions on how to spend their earnings, while 41 per cent made joint decisions with their husband. 76 per cent of working women reported making less money than their husband.

    The survey also found that only three per cent of ever-married women owned a house, alone or jointly, compared to 72 per cent ever-married men.

    The survey sampled from all four provinces including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, including Azad Jammu Kashmir and FATA. A total of 12,364 women between the ages of 15-49 and 3,145 men had participated in the survey.

  • Ten things Anoushey Ashraf wants Pakistani women to remember

    Actress and VJ Anoushey Ashraf has shared a list of ten things she wishes all Pakistani women should remember in order to live a more fulfilled and enjoyable life.

    Taking to Instagram, she wrote that everyday she remembers to pray and thank God for all the things in her life, good or bad. Ranging from learning to be comfortable in your own skin, to standing for a cause you believe in, here are some valuable tips that Ashraf sent out to her followers.

    1 Be financially independent

    “We’ve heard this again and again but I can’t emphasize enough on being financially independent. Not only does it give you freedom of movement, it gives you self confidence in a world that isn’t to kind to our gender in general.”

    2 Stand up for yourself

    “We’ve been sold the whole ‘be patient, let it go’ narrative for way too long but if someone has said or done something to hurt you or your reputation stand up for yourself. You don’t need to take emotional abuse from anyone.”

    3 Travel solo (or with friends)

    “You do not necessarily need a partner to travel around with. Get your girlfriends and travel to exotic places. Meet new people, have unique experiences and grow. Travel is the best education.”

    4 Learn how to drive

    “Just a skill I think everyone needs to know. In case of emergency or just not being dependent on someone else driving you around all the time. Driving also gives you a sense of control (in an odd sense) it’s cool.”

    5 Confess your love to someone

    “So, you have been liking someone but waiting for him to make the first move. Wake up, girl, it’s 2023! You can ask a guy too. And it’s absolutely okay! Good luck.”

    6 Indulge in a hobby

    “This keeps me creative and motivated. Making time for reading, art, music, puzzles, spending time with my pets or just playing sports are essential to recharge my batteries and keep me sane in an otherwise chaotic life.”

    7 Be comfortable in your own skin

    “So, what if you’re skinny or thin? What if you (think) you’re short or too tall? Accepting your authentic self is the biggest step towards knowing and honoring yourself.”

    8 Be 100% okay with being single.

    “Single is no longer a lack of options- but a choice. A choice to refuse to let your life be defined by your relationship status but to live every day Happily and let your Ever After work itself out. And it will. – Mary Hale (said it best).”

    9 Give time to a cause you believe in

    “Politics? Religion? The environment? Education? Animal rights? Whatever it is that gets you worked up, don’t just sit around and complain. Get involved! Start taking positive, forward-thinking action and see what you can do to help the situation. Raise money, do research, volunteer your time, spread the word – it’ll give you an incredible sense of purpose, and plus, people need your help.”

    10. Work out atleast three times a day

    “Not only will staying active and adapting your physical activity improve mental and physical health but it will also cut down on your risk of developing life-threatening illnesses or having a fall that results in injury. It’s no secret that our bodies start to decline naturally as we age. That’s life, unfortunately – but it needn’t be a cue to stop moving. Staying active is beneficial to us all, whatever our age!”

  • Jameela Jamil slams celebrities for attending Met Gala that honoured controversial designer Karl Lagerfeld

    Activist and actress Jameela Jamil took to Instagram to publicly slam the celebrities who attended this year’s Met Gala, where late German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld- who was a controversial figure for his many sexist and racist comments- was honoured.

    Lagerfeld had been outspoken against allowing curvy women to pose for magazines or model, in response to women’s magazine ‘Bridgette’ when the publication announced that they would only publish pictures of real women instead of models:

    “You’ve got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly. The world of beautiful clothing is about ‘dreams and illusions’.”

    Lagerfeld had also been a vocal opponent of the #MeToo movement, speaking to Numero in 2018 after three models accused the creative director of Chanel of sexual harassment:

    “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent.”

    Jamil criticised the celebrities who had been vocal about social issues like #MeToo movement and body positivity for refusing to call out the controversial legacy of the late ‘Chanel’ fashion designer:

    “Last night Hollywood and fashion said the quiet part out loud when a lot of famous feminists chose to celebrate at the highest level, a man who was so publicly cruel to women, to fat people, to immigrants and to sexual assault survivors. And all the women’s publications, and spectators online, chose to gleefully ignore it. Suddenly your appetite to find someone’s tweets from when they were 12, has gone.”

    The ‘Good Place’ actor went on to share that the selective cancel culture within liberal politics needs to stop, because it further erodes the trust people have in progressive politics that it will actually make a difference in the world:

    “This isn’t about cancel culture. Its not even about Karl. It’s about showing how selective cancel culture is within liberal politics, in the most blatant way so far. It’s about showing why people don’t trust liberals. Because of slippery tactics and double standards like this.”

  • Saas-bahu tamasha say akhir chuti mili, Hum TV’s ‘Fairy Tale’ is winning hearts

    Pakistani dramas have a quintessential love story format: shy and naive girl meets mysterious and broody boy, a quick marriage, fights, misunderstandings, infidelity, the necessary tarka that is the scheming saas, her weird obsession with her son and then jump to the happily ever after.

    But this Ramzan, ‘Fairy Tale’ has put a twist in the tale and given audiences a wholesome, enemies-to-lovers story that has captivated audiences. That there’s a headstrong female lead, is just icing on the cake.

    The plot has engaged audiences right from the start with a completely different set up: game shows. It revolves around the 20-years-old Umeed, a chai-obsessed vivacious girl who dreams of becoming a millionaire to be able to afford all the things her strict father refuses to purchase for her. When the opportunity to sign up for a game show turns up, Umeed is quick to fly to Islamabad, but her outspoken nature puts her at direct odds with Farjaat, a grumpy CEO who is her complete opposite in every way.

    Audiences have praised the story for its humor and creativity. Twitter users have pointed out how Umeed and the rest of the women in the show depict female friendships in healthy ways.

    Other users have praised the growing chemistry between Umeed and Farjaat, and how despite how the two coming off as complete opposites, they are able to cultivate respect, coming to love the unique perspectives they bring into each other’s lives.

    Although not much is said between the two because of how much Umeed and Farjaad are trying to avoid each other, but Twitter users love how the male lead’s powerful expressions show how much he is falling for Umeed despite his efforts not to.

    And yes we’ll happily take an extra ten episodes only to watch them bicker in an adorable manner.