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Being a girl, it is hard to live in Pakistan. I used to go to university covered normally like any average girl would and I used to feel gazed at like I’m being searched for something as I walk by weird men. That’s when I thought that hijaab could be the solution to my problem. But my findings afterward were surprising, it still wouldn’t stop the men from staring at me or passing sick comments as they passed by me.

To my surprise, the harassment increased. Yes. And don’t get me wrong, I love my hijaab and wouldn’t take it off even if the world is messed up and treats me wrong because of it. I got more unwelcoming comments and looks from strange men and it just confused me. I thought that me, wearing a hijab, wouldn’t provoke the men’s attention (that doesn’t in any way mean that girls without hijaab are asking for attention from random people on the streets. NO.). Sometimes, you just got to speak to the society in their language to make them understand.

They don’t dare say a word to me when I wear a bold lipstick or look straight in their eyes when they walk unusually close in my direction. It is almost like these men prey on girls who lower their gaze or look like they don’t have enough guts to shut them off in response to their comments.

So, if you’re a girl like me wondering what’s wrong and why doesn’t it stop, you should make it stop. Avoiding the gaze is not the answer girls, trust me I’ve tried, hand’s down. Look them right in the eye and so that you’ll rip them apart if they dare say a word to you. Do it for yourself, do it for the girls who find it hard to tackle harassment.

Be bold, push them off, because harassment needs to end. It needs to end for us who are out often so we can roam around freely and it needs to end for women/girls who are locked up in homes just because they’re scared of being harassed and have no idea what they’ll do if it happens. The world needs to be a safer place for women and us women, along with the men who believe in us, can make it happen.