Tag: pakistani men

  • Mariyam Nafees slams ogling Pakistani men

    Mariyam Nafees slams ogling Pakistani men

    Actress Mariyam Nafees has shared a mysterious post on her Instagram account, criticizing men who stare at women. Her post said, “Thanks to Pakistani men’s ogling. Nothing to be proud of – they must cover up so you don’t die staring at them Bitter Facts.”

    Mariyam responded to a tweet about Pakistanis living abroad wearing Western clothes while foreigners visiting Pakistan wear traditional clothing.
    Her comments have sparked a discussion on social media about Pakistani men and their behavior.

    The actress, currently on holiday in London, was trolled by internet creeps after posting pictures of herself in bright, summery clothes and receiving negative feedback from a social media user.

    While some argue that staring is a global issue, not just in Pakistan, others highlight cultural and religious reasons for modest clothing.

  • Don’t tell our women what needs to be done

    Don’t tell our women what needs to be done

    Women political participation is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality and genuine democracy. It facilitates women’s direct engagement in public decision-making and is a means of ensuring better accountability to women. But here in Pakistan, women in politics are seen as a threat to the fragile egos of some male politicians.

    When we talk about women’s political participation, it is easy for us to imagine the empty seats around the decision-making table, and a little more difficult to picture the many obstacles and challenges women face to get into those seats. When the same empty seats are filled by women, they somehow become a threat and danger. Recently, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali criticised State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on her recent visit to Afghanistan. Chitrali said that he was not against any female minister, but he believed that the government should have included some tribal elders in the Khar-led delegation that visited Afghanistan. In response to his sexist statement, women Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) from treasury benches extended their support for Khar. Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman said, “This debate on gender difference has ended in the entire world, as to who is a man and who a woman. People are known for their performance and merit and not for their gender. Our women are excelling internationally and continuing to do so.” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also spoke up, asking that all parliamentarians, especially the men, should encourage and acknowledge the competency of women ministers appointed on merit.“Hina represented Pakistan in Afghanistan. This is a moment of pride for the entire nation,” she said, rebuffing Chitrali’s objections.

    It is not the first time that we have seen sexism in parliament. Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani called Sherry Rehman the “Senate’s dadi (grandmother)” when he asked a house member to keep the questions specific so that Sherry Rehman can answer the questions. “I would advise you to only ask specific questions so that Sherry Rehman, who is the dadi of this House, can give you the right answers,” Sanjrani said, adding that members should keep the environment of the House calm.

    This month we saw PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry advising Information Marriyum Aurangzeb and Sherry Rehman to quit politics and open a beauty parlour instead.

    The question remains: what are the male politicians so frightened of? Politicians need to learn that there is a a fine line between criticism and misogyny remarks. Our politicians and men in general of Pakistan need to do better. Women of Pakistan are fierce, resolute and hardworking — be it in any field of the world. They are trendsetters and opinion makers. They shall and will not be stopped.

  • Polish blogger Aleks Mroz busts Katherine George’s charade

    Polish blogger Aleks Mroz busts Katherine George’s charade

    If you’ve recently been active on social media, chances are you might have come across two pictures of a white woman standing with a group of men and claiming that Pakistan “is a country that loves and respects women”.

    The pictures were tweeted from an account by the name of Katherine George, which has now been deleted. Katherine’s tweets were widely shared by social media users, with some endorsing her statement and others sceptical with her comments and identity.

    Turns out that Katherine George does not exist and her Twitter account was fake. Because pictures shared from that account were actually of Polish travel blogger Aleks Mroz, who took to her Instagaram account to clear the air and set the facts right.

    “I can personally talk about my own experience and the hospitality and kindness I received and it’s true,” said Alex while talking about her experience in Pakistan. “But I can never speak for the Pakistani women and I will never do.”

    “As any other foreigner here, I am the guest in Pakistan and and I can not speak out for local people,” she said further. “The amount of hate spread by one FAKE Twitter post influenced many people’s opinions causing huge harm not only to me (as my face was used in the highly-biased post), to other foreigners who are fully aware of the difference between the perception of a tourist and a local, but also to Pakistani people facing a FAKE white tourist who undermines their voice.”

    “Spreading hatred, ignorance and colour-oriented posts is the LAST thing I would like to do,” she added.

    Mroz also busted Katherine’s pretence, shared her own experience of being a tourist in Pakistan and what she thinks about the safety of local women in Pakistan.