“Every day should be women’s day,” was a common refrain I caught from women around me as a child. For NGOs, media channels and many corporations, International Women’s Day ushers a new host of campaigns, products and stories about women. These range from attempts to define empowerment to the chronicles of ‘inspiration and perseverance’. For others, March 8 often yields little beyond a surge in pinkwashing and curated lists of ‘remarkable women.’
The ones who lead space missions, who advocate for peace on international forums, who own their stories in art and music – to chart any list is both inexhaustive and missing the big picture. Remarkable women vastly outnumber famous women and surround us at all times, making the world possible in their ordinary ways.
So, this women’s day, let’s look around us and celebrate the extraordinary lives of ordinary women in Pakistan who live, persist and care despite a myriad of patriarchal barriers – every day.
Javeria Raheel
“Being a model with vitiligo isn’t easy; however, I also know that accepting myself is what paved the way for me in the industry,” Javeria tells me, a tad apologetic for being late in wrapping up her last class for the day. Being a full-time student of fashion, the 24-year-old has a lot on her plate: classes, modelling contracts, her Instagram blog and establishing herself as a content creator.
Javeria, who has collaborated with fashion labels such as Manto and Outfitters, knows the brunt of exclusion firsthand. Many within Pakistan’s fashion and entertainment industries have flagged its longstanding affair with colourism and other troubling measures of beauty, especially targetting women. However, Javeria is bent on creating the acceptance that is the right of every person. She adds, “I never could have imagined that embracing something society deems a weakness would bring me so much success in life.”
The pressures and discrimination are salient but Javeria is too busy winning in life to indulge stray commentators. A regular day in her life involves staying atop of multiple deadlines while ensuring time for herself. “With classes five days a week as a fashion student, there’s a lot of manual work involved…Starting early to work on my Instagram blog takes up a significant chunk of my day, as I handle everything from filming to editing and blog management independently.”
So what does Women’s Day mean to her? “This day encourages me to appreciate not only the women around me but also myself, which I often overlook,” she offers. “It serves as a reminder that, given the persistent patriarchy in our nation, unity among women is important for bringing change.”
Zill-e-Fatima
Launching a fashion startup in the peak of Pakistan’s tryst with COVID-19 is impressive but the achievement is understated without a deeper look. A mother to three children, Fatima is the woman behind Salsabil, an online women’s apparel brand that entered the scene a few years before she decided to put an end to an unhappy marriage.
“I started my own clothing brand five years ago, with a small amount of personal savings,” she recounts, reflecting on her long journey. “Now, I’m at a stage where I do things on my own, independently, always taking it to the next level.” As a single mother who must work, both for financial stability and personal fulfillment, the sheer challenge of balancing work and family is always present.
Fatima’s children, all schoolgoing, are an indispensable part of her day. “My day begins with me waking up early, sending kids to school. Then come my daily chores. I give time to my business juggling my responsibilities as a single parent and homekeeping, from cooking, cleaning to assisting them in their homework.”
Exhausted to her bones by nightfall, Fatima is adamant that “every day is women’s day.” As she looks back over the years, the 36-year-old urges women everywhere to genuinely believe in their dreams and abilities – no matter what life sends their way.
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