KARACHI:
Financial independence is not a luxury for women. It is a lifeline. And the path to it begins with education. Marrying off the daughters before they complete their education or become financially independent puts them in a position where they may have little control over their own future. Every woman deserves the ability to stand on her own feet, make informed choices, and know that she has options if life takes an unexpected turn.
Far too many women are trapped in abusive marriages because they have nowhere else to go. They are told to tolerate physical and emotional abuse simply because their parents cannot afford to support them. This is a message to every parent: educate your daughters. Raise them to be financially, emotionally and intellectually independent so that they can enter marriage as equal partners rather than as individuals with no alternatives. Give them the confidence, skills and education to build a life where staying in a marriage is a choice, not a necessity.
Shahzadi Mahnoor
Abbottabad
