Boys want to have fun too

Visiting parks, cinemas, malls or attempting any recreational activity in Karachi reveals rampant gender discrimination - against men!

Hamza Javaid September 29, 2010
What comes to your mind when you think of Karachi? The magnificent sea , ever-glowing lights , loadshedding, paan gutka and for me - gender discrimination. Yup. life is so not fair for the unfair sex in the capital of Sindh.

I would have never noticed such discrimination had I been living in Karachi with my family. It was only when I came back to the city to pursue higher studies that I perceived the stark discrimination. The practice here is that all the trendy hang outs, parks, recreational spots are restricted to families only. As harsh as it seems this would still be reasonable if it were to apply to both sexes. But no, in this gender biased city two females are considered a family while two males are a nuisance!

If you are an average guy , try getting inside The Forum or Park Towers on a Saturday evening and you’ll be shown the exit door even before making your way pass the entry. But if it is a mixed group or even an exclusively female one, you’ll be greeted inside with a welcome grin.

This anti-male culture exists in open environments as well, like in Bagh ibne Qasim and Funland which have security ready to pounce on any female-less male. Moreover, the one and only renowned cinema in Karachi, Cineplex is restricted to families. So you can't be a guy and watch a movie in a cinema. No, this right is reserved for women.

I have lived part of my life in Islamabad and I have never seen such a biased attitude there.  Guys are not stopped from enjoying equal luxuries and the city is far more peaceful then Karachi. So the argument that boys lack manners or discipline is totally out of the question. Places like Hang Out, Hot Shot, Megazone, F-9 Park, Cinepax would never judge you on the basis of your genitals!

And I'm sure this is the case in other cities as well... well besides Karachi.
WRITTEN BY:
Hamza Javaid An engineering student at NUST in Karachi.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (47)

Shafqat | 14 years ago | Reply I totally agree with the article. It really pisses me off when something of this kind happens with me. My rule...let the boys in... BUT if they do ANYTHING UNPLEASANT INTENTIONALLY beat their heads off! Other than that.. we SHOULD have rights too.
Hamza Siddiqui | 14 years ago | Reply Jack, exactly. The most i hate is the cinema one, movies and cinemas are considered a "guys" thing, especially when it comes to movies like inception. and yeah a guy can want to hang out with friends, just to chill. he does not want to accompany his girl everywhere he goes! the answer to those who have suggested "get a girl". dude, "get a life".
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