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Pop-up in the Park: Reclaiming public spaces in Karachi
Spoken Stage, in collaboration with Girls at Dhabas, hosted an event coined “Pop-up in the Park” at Frere Hall this Saturday in order to reclaim the public spaces in Karachi. Spoken Stage is an...
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My brother hit me, but to my family I am the villain
When my brother hit me, I realised that Qandeel Baloch didn’t even have to become Qandeel Baloch for her brother to murder her; he would have done it anyway. I have realised that there are men out...
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Mahira’s “matkas” and “jhatkas” prove she’s the greatest marketeer in Pakistan
Mahira Khan’s larger-than-life performance and her red-carpet appearance at the LSA2016 (replete with a dress and entourage big enough to fill up all of Expo Center), proved to me that she’s an...
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Would you be able to sleep at night knowing your daughter is being subjected...
The recent murder cases of Samia Shahid and Qandeel Baloch, both victims of ‘honour killing,’ put yet another question mark on our resolve to fight violence against women. Such cases also serve to...
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Change begins at home: Stop blaming France for the Burkini ban
When I lived in Saudi Arabia, religious policing of women’s bodies was the norm. I remember a time when my mother and I were casually strolling down Suwaiket street – one of the most busiest and...
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Under attack again: When will our government stop tolerating banned outfits?
Another day, another tragedy in Quetta. The city has seen too many to be listed but the attack on Balochistan Police College that took at least 61 lives, is the third time in less than three months...
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Does it arouse you to watch someone getting raped, India?
Real videos of rape are being sold in Uttar Pradesh, India. For Rs20 to Rs300. No, this is not a joke. Really think about that for a second. The person you know or heard of, that girl? Who got raped?...
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Have Muslim countries failed its women due to religious orthodoxy?
A few months ago, when Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy won her Oscar, I got into a heated argument with one of my friends. His contention was that people like her were ‘maligning’ the image of Pakistan by...
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As a man, I stand by Karachi EAT festival’s “no stags” policy
Recently the management of the Karachi EAT food festival came under a lot of criticism over their ‘families only’ rule. Memes and jokes were made and circulated on social media and a lot of online...
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Lindsay Lohan might be converting to Islam, but how is that our business?
A blogger posted a screenshot of Lindsay Lohan’s new Instagram bio. She had deleted all her posts and the bio read “Alaikum salam” which translates to “peace be unto you.” As a joke, I took a...
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While a new day yields a new molester, our girls are still told it’s their fault
“It was my first day at work. I covered my head like a good Muslim, didn’t speak to the opposite gender unnecessarily, still somehow by the time I returned home, I had a few extremely vulgar text...
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The Handmaid’s Tale is a form of activism and we love it!
The Handmaid’s Tale is a harrowing TV series set in Gilead, an oppressive totalitarian society where women, referred to as ‘handmaids’, are not allowed to vote, to hold jobs, to read, or own property....
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Why do I have to pretend to fast when my “monthly friend” is visiting?
I sit in the room at the end of the hallway. The door is closed. My head is bent. I am waiting to be called. I was six-years-old. I stood on the balcony with my mother, father and cousin as we tried to...
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Lipstick Under My Burkha does not empower women; it only pits woman against...
A movie that was initially banned in India because it was too ‘women-oriented’ and led to a discussion on feminism and looking at women with their imperfections and sexual longings, was bound to be...
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When did I become your favourite punching bag?
Have you ever hoped for silence? Have you waited for minutes, hours and even days for the absence of words, conversation and noise? I find myself here more often than I should. Sitting at my bedside...
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Honour is our national shame, not Mahira Khan
It’s 2017, which means every day one wakes up to a new outrage on social media – it is simply the way of the world now. You pick a side and tweet incessantly until the next outrage-inducing news comes...
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Body-shaming Kareena Kapoor’s “fat legs” post pregnancy? Because giving birth...
To think that after the global backlash against the shamers of Mahira Khan, the world of shamers would take the back seat, is indeed just a hopeful thought. Khan got slut-shamed over her choice of...
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The women of Kohistan suffer in silence as they search for water that doesn’t...
Hazoora, a 24-year-old native of Kohistan (an arid piece of land located near Thatta), complains that her hair is falling due to transporting heavy cans of water on her head since she was...
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A woman covered with a dupatta, unlike the covered lollipop, will never be...
As I strolled out of Emporium Mall the other day and waited for my car, a street urchin approached me. Assuming she was going to ask for some money, I pretended not to see her, but then she did...
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That night she became Riffat Bai and everything changed
“Kokhla chapha kay jumairaat ayi hay... jaira picchay murr kay wekkhay odhi shaamat aai hay... kokhla chapha kay jumairaat ayi hay... jaira picchay mur…” their chanting went on and on. (I have hidden...
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