One woman’s struggle to make ends meet

FAISALABAD: Irshad Bibi starts her day at dawn. After completing daily household tasks, she helps her husband Muhammad Islam in preparing and selling sugarcane juice.

The 65-year-old woman, a resident of Mohalla Islam Nagar, is a living example of motivation and hard work.  For the past three decades, Irshad Bibi has been working for almost 12 hours daily without a break at a roadside cart on Jail Road.  Despite odds, she has a pleasant smile on her face. As part of her job, she cleans glasses, makes juice and serves it to the customers.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Irshad Bibi said, “I have four sons. Three are married and they live in different places while the fourth Muhammad Shahid lives with me.” She added, “Shahid also runs a tyre puncture shop a few distance away from this place.” “I remain busy all the day and serve juice to the customers, besides maintaining cleanliness in and around the stall.”





She maintained, “My husband brings sugarcane from the market and then we work tirelessly for 12 hours.” Irshad Bibi further said, “However, in the meantime, I go home and bring lunch for my husband and son.”

She said they work all day without any trouble but when her husband becomes ill, it intensifies the workload.   “In such situation, my son helps me to fulfill the tasks.”

Meanwhile, Muhammad Ismail told The Express Tribune that he does not want her wife to work. He added, “She works with me out of her own choice and will.” “With her support, our business is doing really well and we are almost earning double as compared to the time when I was running the stall alone,” he admitted.



When The Express Tribune spoke to Irshad Bibi’s son Shahid, he said, “My mother is assisting my father in his business for more than three decades. I have asked her a number of times that she should take rest and stay at home but she refuses to do so.” He said, “As there is no other activity for my mother therefore, she gets bored at home. This is the reason she comes here to help us.”

A customer Muhammad Shafique told The Express Tribune that women were working and standing shoulder to shoulder with men.  He added more than 50% of our population comprised females. “If we will not involve them in the economic activities, we will not be able to compete with the rest of the world,” he opined.

He said he was surprised to know that Irshad Bibi was working at the age of 65 which should be appreciated by the society. “It also encourages other women to start their own business and earn a respectable livelihood.”

He further said the time has changed now and in the wake of price hike, it was impossible for male members to make both ends meet.  Shafique said, “Irshad Bibi has proved that women are not weak and they can also work with men to earn livelihood in a dignified manner.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2017.