No more blame, no more excuses, and no more shame: Mahira Khan

Mahira Khan has teamed up with The Commonwealth to raise voice against violence against women and girls in our societies, posting a video on her Instagram for their #CommonwealthsaysNOMORE campaign.

The announcement came a day after the horrific news about a mother getting gang-raped on the Lahore motorway broke, catalysing conversation against rape with many calling for capital punishment for rapists to try and curb the epidemic.

"This is Mahira Khan from Pakistan and I am proud to join the Commonwealth in saying no more. No more to sexual and domestic violence," she said in the video, before detailing distressing stats about the situation. "Please join me in committing to speaking up and taking action. My name is Mahira Khan and today I say no more. No more blame, no more excuses, and no more shame," she continued.

Mahira also penned down a lengthy and all-important caption to go with the superbly timed video, writing, "We must act now. The problem is deep rooted. It's the mindset that needs to be tackled." She also called out different areas that need an uphaul. "Shame on those who commit the crime. Shame on us, who remain silent. Our curriculums need to be changed. Our narratives in our dramas / films need to be revisited. We need to be mindful of what we teach our children and what we put out. Join the conversation."

"Violence against women and girls (in a lot of cases men and boys) is a hidden pandemic which destroys lives, communities and economies around the world. The heinous rape that happened on the motorway is a clear indication of this," she added, going on to explain the campaign itself. "As a response to this global crisis,Commonwealth and No More organisation have launched the #CommonwealthSaysNOMORE digital portal on September 9, which will provide the 54 Commonwealth member countries with tools and resources to help end domestic and sexual violence against women and girls."

Here's hoping that the conversation sets in motion some much needed changes in our society.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below