Do girls have freedom in Pakistan?

Embarking on an educational journey is no mean feat for a girl in Pakistan. One of the biggest obstacles to girls’ education is the thinking that women are best suited for household chores and therefore should remain within the confines of four walls. Even if parents do allow their daughters to acquire education, the decision is usually influenced by the intention that men prefer educated girls for marriage. Moreover, given the demarcated lines of morality and ethics, many girls are engaged before they are allowed to pursue higher education. However, as many girls would agree, being engaged while studying at a university is an uphill task. With higher education getting increasingly challenging, unnecessary restrictions from the future in-laws become a major hindrance to achieving satisfactory grades. This practically makes the engagement a stifling cage curved out of social, moral and ethical bars, leading to mental disturbance. It sometimes feels like the girls are kind of prisoners across our lives. Parents and society need to play their due role to let the girls out of this negative mindset and, instead of clipping their wings, they should let the girls fly high and be in control of their own individual destinies.
TASAWUR FATIMA
NAUSHAHRO FEROZE