ALL CURSE TO MEN

            Ayesha had been complaining about the ascendancy of men in society. “I feel that this world belongs to man”, she said. Basit replied, “To be honest, this is indeed men’s world and women should stay inside chaar deewari.”

            I was amused at his comment and thought perhaps he didn’t know abut the freedom and liberty our modern and allegedly men-dominated society had given to women. I thought of increasing number of working women; women are doctors, TV anchors and even pilots. It seems that they will outdo (or equal at least) men in every field. They are doing what they have never done before. (Veena had not “set her example” at that time or I would have thought about her too).

It has been about one year since that chat between my friends and my conversation with myself took place. Ever since, I have tried to observe freedom of women more deliberately. I recently came to know a real-life experience which, I am sure, would prove my dear friend Basit wrong.

This experience I learnt from a friend of mine who is a part-time home tutor. He was provided the contact for a home tuition near Federal B Area block 16. The student was a 19 year old girl, willing to continue her studies after three years of her matric. She had had to quit her studies in order to support her five-members family after her father’s death.

She works in a telecommunication company’s franchise located in Saddar. Astonished at the distance of her workplace form her home, my friend inquired of the reasons that took the girl to Saddar franchise despite of ones near her residence. She told him that she had been working at a franchise near her home. Some local boys (of her flat building) started visiting quite frequently – of course for their genuine queries. Obviously she was hired to satisfy the customers. For no apparent reason she could have refused to attend them. Highly inspired by this decency of the boys, she had to get herself transferred to a far-off area where she now commutes by bus – daily with a great convenience.

She also told that she was the only girl among all other male workers at the franchise. She said that she had to act and speak very carefully so as not to give any expression of her favors to a particular co-worker. Besides this, she also has to maintain a tone humble enough that does not declare her a Miss Attitude.

Listening to my friend, I was laughing at Basit in my heart. I imagined the sense of security which the girl would have at her workplace. I envisioned her travelling in a bus full of penetrating eyes and envied her feeling of comfort. I thought about the appreciation she would be receiving from her neighborhood for staying alone in an all-men-working environment.

Yes Mr. Basit, our women are free! Free to be harassed at workplace through ambiguous language, free to be x-rayed through naked eyes (as if they are wearing nothing), free to be fondled in buses, free to be offered lifts by unknown motorists at bus stops, free to be abused by their relatives, free to be hooted on, free to be the subject of gossips, free to be considered a WHORE!

I have numerous such experiences to share but that will embarrass my dear friend which I don’t want him to be.

NB, ALL FIVE FINGERS ARE NOT SAME, and same like that... "ALL MEN ARE NOT SAME"...