Natasha Ali | Women’s Day Supplement Coordinator
Featured image | Rowan Campbell
I remember hearing about women’s rights from my mother. I was very young, and definitely didn’t fully grasp what she was talking about—but I realize how powerful these words have become, especially today.
Having grown up in a country where women are marginalized and usually controlled by male patriarchs, I started seeing how difficult a woman’s life is. From the moment she’s born, there are expectations of her that she needs to fulfill as a female. She has regulations placed upon her by mostly males in her family, and is eventually expected to settle down into her role as a housewife.
Personally, my experience hasn’t been this gruelling, but I sometimes see hints of these societal and cultural barriers to this day.
The greatest female role model in my life is my mother, who is an extremely knowledgeable person and passionate about women’s rights. Having earned a degree in Sociology, she has delivered many discussions on Middle Eastern females, and I have been lucky enough to witness such processes. One particular topic which she covered extensively was honour crimes.
In some cultures, male patriarchs are given the green light to end a female’s life if she—God forbid—behaved “badly.” Now, “badly” can translate into so many things; whether it be acquaintance, dating, or premarital courtship.
Hearing about these cruel honour-crime stories made my skin crawl—the irony is that men would never be treated the same way as women if they ever were to commit these so-called “indecent acts.” Even after hearing my mother severely condemning these crimes, I started to realize that women generally do not have a voice and that in order to obtain it, they have to defend themselves and raise their voice.
Flash-forward to October of last year. The most powerful man in Hollywood was under fire for sexual assault allegations. Then, more accusations and lawsuits followed, and soon we were seeing victims on the news speaking up.
These past few months have been a turning point for women everywhere. They have finally recognized that they can actually stand up to their abusers, offenders, and rapists—and as we have witnessed, one voice can bring a wave of suppressed silences into plain view.
This year’s Women’s Day supplement celebrates a remarkable time for the women of today. It’s about addressing injustice and sexism towards women—but most importantly, it’s about giving minorities a voice and honouring them with the respect they deserve.
