A male participant of the Aurat March whose placard, saying “I march for my mom who wasn’t allowed to go to school”, went viral on social media has shared the story behind the message and said that it is the story of millions of women in Pakistan and across the world.
Aurat March is held annually in several cities of Pakistan on International Women’s Day.
The Aurat March participant said that he is sharing the story of his mother because it is not just a story of an individual but the story of millions of women in Pakistan.
THREAD
As my placard from this year’s Aurat march has gone viral, I want to share the story of my mother. It’s not the story of an individual; it is the story of millions of women in Pakistan and around the globe. When my mom was 10 years old, she was fond of reading and writing pic.twitter.com/ixpJnkE4OK
— Ehtesham Hassan (@Ehteysham1) March 9, 2023
He said that his mother was very fond of education and wanted to go to school like her brothers.
and wanted to go to school like her brothers. One day, she expressed her desire to her grandmother, who agreed and purchased a “Takhti” for her. My mom went to school for one or two days, and when she returned home, she cleaned her “Takhti” with mud so she could use it again the
— Ehtesham Hassan (@Ehteysham1) March 9, 2023
“When my mom was 10 years old, she was fond of reading and writing,” he said while adding that she was allowed to go to school after she expressed this desire at home.
“One day, she expressed her desire to her grandmother, who agreed and purchased a “Takhti” for her. My mom went to school for one or two days.”
next day.
One day, a relative who was a Molvi and member of a religious political party, Maulana Fazal Rehman, came to visit their home. He saw my mom’s Takhti and asked her grandmother about it. She told him that it belonged to her granddaughter, who goes to school and wants to
— Ehtesham Hassan (@Ehteysham1) March 9, 2023
However, a male relative of the family, who was also associated with a religious party, upon learning that his mother goes to school became “infuriated”, saying “there was no need for girls to study, as it was against their culture and religious values. He claimed that if she learned to write, she would write letters to other men and violate the honor of their family.”
learn. The Molvi became infuriated when he heard this and said that there was no need for girls to study, as it was against their culture and religious values. He claimed that if she learned to write, she would write letters to other men and violate the honor of their family.
— Ehtesham Hassan (@Ehteysham1) March 9, 2023
And from that day, he said, that his mother was not allowed to go to school.
“Whenever my mom tells me this story, I can see the tears and helplessness in her eyes, which breaks my heart, but I can’t do anything to help her.”
From that day, she was never allowed to go to school. Whenever my mom tells me this story, I can see the tears and helplessness in her eyes, which breaks my heart, but I can’t do anything to help her. Her dreams were shattered, and she was deprived of the fundamental right to
— Ehtesham Hassan (@Ehteysham1) March 9, 2023
He added that his mother was deprived of her fundamental right to education and this still happens in Pakistan and around the world “where women’s basic rights are taken away because of their gender”.
education, with no one to assist her. This still happens in Pakistan and around the world today, where women’s basic rights are taken away because of their gender, and nobody seems to care.
— Ehtesham Hassan (@Ehteysham1) March 9, 2023
He concluded that this was the reason that he carried the banner with this message to march on International Women’s Day.
That’s why I decided to carry this banner on International Women’s Day, so that no other women would be treated like this.
— Ehtesham Hassan (@Ehteysham1) March 9, 2023
It is pertinent to mention here that more than one-third of Pakistani girls don’t have access to education and Pakistan often ranks among the worst countries in gender inequality in the education sector.
