Women of substance

Watching successful women embrace achievement motivates other women to undertake similar trajectories

In the society we live in, where they are often harassed, humiliated and dragged through the archways of patriarchy, women are symbols of struggle, strength and conviction. I believe that each and every woman is a hero stifled behind the rants of conformist regimes. Some people understand the need to bring their achievements to light; others burn them alive in the silence of the night.

Those working towards projecting the lives of women successfully casting off shadows and carving a platform for themselves against all odds, are not small in number. Their work serves to inspire others into following their example. NGOs and governmental agencies funding cottage industries, directors and script-writers drafting productions on cases of violence and violation of women rights, workplaces progressively catering to more female-friendly environments and activists launching campaigns to highlight the importance of catering to women empowerment are just a few examples. Consumer and corporate brands are also now increasingly trying to play a role of responsible societal units by supporting initiatives that place women as the face of accomplishment, such as a recent campaign by a leading shoe brand.

Such coverage also allows the morphing of opinions that facilitate placing women within the confines of their homes, into those that understand how well women have managed their families alongside their careers. Ghazala Rehman, a renowned furniture designer, recently stated that despite her work having set off at a time when her children were of tender age, she has come to raise a fine home and a thriving brand, simultaneously. This goes to show that emancipation of women does not have to affect our culture or our traditions. It is necessary to illuminate this aspect of women empowerment and to highlight women’s potential to make stereotypical confines more malleable and less enduring.

Watching successful women embrace achievement after achievement motivates other women to undertake similar trajectories without fearing what the world may hold for them. Actress Nadia Jamil has beautifully worded this leap of faith in one’s self — it’s about time each woman smiles and holds her head high. Freedom is something God has blessed them with.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2014.