Sexual harassment is an ever-increasing problem in Pakistan and countering it is not easy, especially if you are a female as the highly patriarchal society will always value the voice of males over yours.
On 3rd December 2017, I along with my sisters visited “The Karachi Car-Nival” held at Frere Hall where all types of vintage cars were being showcased. Everything was going fine until my sisters told me, “Appi there is a guy with his friends who are continuously following us.” I turned back and realized it was the same person (around 15 to 16 years old) who I saw the first time we entered the carnival. He was staring at us then too, but I ignored him keeping in mind it was a crowded place; he was just having fun and there was nothing to worry about.
In case you are wondering what we were wearing, it was decent clothing (not that it should matter). Anyhow, the boy along with his gang was following us everywhere: whether it be at a tea stall where we stopped to enjoy some hot tea or whether it be when we were taking pictures with the cars. At this point it couldn’t have been a coincidence they were where ever we went. One of my sisters told me that one of the boys winked at her, moving his tongue seductively and gesturing for her to follow him. My mother has always told me “Beta aese logon k moun mat laga karo. Inko koi farq nahi parta.” However, this time the boy and his friends had crossed their limits.
After the event, we sat outside the tent on the grass and called a private cab. While we were sitting my sisters told me, “Appi us larkay k group k 2 larkay hamare peche kharay hein camera k sath and continuously hamay hi dekh rahay hein.”
It’s time for every girl to take a stand for themselves and ask others to do the same; to no let others harass them just because they are girls. It is not only boys’ fault but also the responsibility of their parents to raise their sons in a way they would want their daughter’s husband-to-be. In this male-dominated society, people will always downplay wrong actions of males and, in many cases, declare the female to be at fault in such incidences.