Singer Hadiqa Kiani took to Instagram on Tuesday to voice her opinion on how our society needs to stop shaming women who are divorced, separated or widowed. Kiani, a single parent shared a personal incident when a man proposed to her because ‘she has a child’. “Stop using the child of a woman as a way to romance her or as a way to force her into a relationship. Because this society makes it seem that single mothers aren’t capable of raising their children on their own,” the singer’s social media post read. Kiani adopted a baby from the Edhi Foundation following the disastrous 2005 earthquake. “When I chose to adopt, I was told by many that it would ruin my chances of remarrying. I know other women who have been harassed by family members and people in our society,” she stated. “Being told that they must find a father for their kids. And many men are amazing and kind and loving but there are evil men who take advantage of a single mother’s children. The same relatives who tell you to remarry never seem to mention those men. I say all of this to say: Respect the single mother’s capabilities as a parent. It is your job to encourage and uplift your fellow women, not judge them or force them into a relationship just for the sake of being in one.” This is not the first time, celebrities have openly spoken about single mothers. Sarwat Gilani, who welcomed her son Araiz with husband Fahad Mirza last year, was questioned about family planning. The actor took to Facebook and wrote, “Why is it anyone’s business to comment on how many children I should have?” She went on to say, “Why is it anyone’s concern how late or soon should I have them and funnily enough why is it always men who have such lame concerns? My fertility is certainly not your problem nor an excuse to have a conversation or make a joke.”
Published in Daily Times, September 4th 2018.