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You Never Really Make It Home Safely
Karachi is the most populous city in Pakistan. It is estimated that over 20 million people call the city home. About 8 million women live in this city, and I was one of them.
Being a woman in any part of the country is similar because of the misogyny that runs through Pakistani society at all levels. You step out of your house, aware of all the ogling you will receive from male predators. Whether you are a college student or a mother of three, the harassment don’t stop. At grocery shops, on the bus, or at universities, you cannot escape it.
Being a university student in the city was nothing less than a roller coaster ride. I came from another city to pursue my dream of being a doctor and had a family home to live in. I did not belong to a conservative family. Yet, the situation outside the house was different.
I was always fearful when around strangers. Men often followed women to their homes. The feeling of a stalker walking just a few feet behind you as you make your way home is deeply unsettling. A thousand horrible thoughts race through your mind as you wonder what will happen next. Will you make it home safely this time?
We learn to exist in these perpetually unsafe conditions.
When university started, I used the university bus to commute. It was a safe, easy ride. The bus…
