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Men have often tried to define the place a woman should be in: indoors, covered and protected. Only few have the power to go against the norm and bear the flag of being a ‘bad woman’. When you come across such people (especially men) you feel nothing but blessed.

I experienced the same thing last night when I was wandering for food with a friend near the super mart (read: Gulistan-e-Johar). The mesmerizing smell of delicious falafel roll attracted us towards that small food stall (read: Dubai Falafel House) where this amazing woman stole our glance.

With the mixed feelings of amusement and happiness we paced towards this lady (read: Mrs. Fatima Shahzad Baig) and asked her what she has to serve and surprisingly the answer came from nowhere but from her husband (read: Mr. Mirza Shahzad Baig).

Mr. Baig beautifully defined the menu with a unique Arabic touch (he has spent his life in UAE) but his definition of women empowerment was more beautiful.

His wife always had a penchant for her own small business and after 35 years of marriage, she was here, standing at her own food stall, accompanied by her husband, who was in full support of her career choice and thought that it’s never too late to start.

Mr. Mirza also added why women like her wife should be served as role models in our society:

“I support my wife because I believe in her abilities and we need more women like her to come forward and make the change we actually need right now. When she can be an amazing daughter, wife, and mother then why not a business woman? Women are working in buildings (read: offices) but not on streets or roads. This can help the women with talent and limited resources to make her mark and get some earnings”

He also mentioned the harassment that comes along with the package of being a strong woman in our society. “I want her to be able to stand here alone, and not with the constant bickering of the men that pass by. I shouldn’t have to be here all the time. They don’t even respect her age, and just ridicule her for being out on the street.”

Finally, we got our rolls and the experience of meeting such wonderful people. They were sweet enough to allow us to take their picture and asked us to come again.

The only question that maddened me, was, someone who hasn’t even lived here all their life, realizes the change we need. And how our own people cannot work towards the freedom of their own women.

Meeting such people in a society as suffocated as ours, is such a rare experience. More power to this woman who in the face of harassment, still dares to live her dream and also, her husband, showing basic decency and understanding the right of a woman to be able to do something more than just bearing children or being a wife at home.