Cultural Norms

My Past My Strength

My ordeal all began in 1994 when I lost my Dad at the age of seven. I was then single handedly catered for by my mother who had no specific job yet having four of us as children to bring...

Don’t kill me

Shazia was from a tribal area of Pakistan. She belonged to the Pashtun family. She ran away from her husband’s home in spite of being married. She was considered a perfect dancer in...

Time to Get Personal

I’m the middle child and only daughter. I was confused throughout most my childhood about what it meant to be the only girl in my family, alongside my three brothers. But my confusion was...

She Chose to Walk Away

Being born into a Pakistani family, it’s not easy to stop listening to what people are saying about you: about the way you dress, you walk, you talk, or you smile. I had to choose between...

It Will Never Rain Roses

“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.” – ​Mary Anne Evans, known as George Eliot I was born and raised in a very small town in...

Thinking Global

Growing up, people most often identified me as the “dark-skinned girl” or the “charcoal seller’s daughter.” I come from a community where most daughters end up taking over their...

My Voice Is My Purpose, What’s Yours?

I believe in introspection, where one digs deep in their heart to search for who they really are and what their purpose is. This introspection isn’t just for personal gain, but to...

Puterea Educației Sexuale

Am 28 de ani și am crescut în București, capitala României, o țară din estul Europei care tocmai scăpase de comunism, cu un an înainte să mă nasc. Viață părinților mei a fost...