Daily Times

Pictures of US blogger Cynthia Ritchie circulating over social media in which she can be seen riding a bicycle on the streets of Peshawar has received quite some criticism. Cynthia, a US-based blogger, who has frequently been travelling to Pakistan since 2009, shared an image of herself bicycling through the streets of Peshawar to share with the world how Pakistan is a safe country for women to travel to and live in.

While her efforts to present a positive image of Pakistan were praised by a number of users, they have also gathered quite a lot of criticism too. Lawyer and blogger Imaan Mazari is the latest critic of the US-based blogger. Mazari said that Cynthia, during his bicycle journey, enjoyed certain security privileges which most women in the country don’t.

“We would also gladly pose on cycles in areas where many women are prevented from even leaving the confines of their homes,” Mazari added.

She went on to say that ‘denying reality’ that Pakistan still has a long road to walk in terms of providing safety to women and citizens ‘won’t change’ anything. “People are abducted and the State is silent; Aasia bibi cannot walk to her own home, let alone ride a bike; ministers have been shot dead; politicians’ kids have been kidnapped. Denying reality doesn’t change it.”

The case of Aasia Bibi – a Christian women who was acquitted in blasphemy case after almost a decade has had its twists and turns, and the silence of Humans Rights Ministry and minister Shireen Mazari over the issue and the failure to provide Aasia Bibi with much needed support is clear.

So much so that Pakistan and Canada are in talks over the issue, said the Foreign Office. While Bibi remains under protection of the Pakistani government, Trudeau has said it out loud and clear that ‘Canada is a welcoming country’. Means if Pakistan can not provide Aasia Bibi with long-term security, then she would have to flee her homeland.

Cynthia and activist Gulalai Ismail also went back-and-forth over the same matter. “Have locals fallen short of giving a positive image of the country that even positive image building had to be outsourced?” Ismail said.

To this, Cynthia said: “My goal with Peshawar images is to encourage a sense of normalcy, promoting peace and progress in Pakistan”

Nonetheless, the blogger did receive quite a lot of praise for her efforts to promote peace and progress in Pakistan.

The US blogger also had something to say about her critics in general.

Pakistan is the fourth worst country for women according to recently released rankings of the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Index.

Of the 153 countries ranked for women’s inclusion, justice and security, Pakistan was ranked at number 150, with the highest discrimination against women in the world and the lowest financial inclusion.

Women’s average years of schooling in the country stands at only five years, while only 33 per cent of Pakistani women have been found to use cellphones. Only 24pc of Pakistani women are employed, while their share of seats in parliament stands at only 20pc.