Daily Times

Being vocal about a personal ordeal is not an easy task. This stands true for anyone who has been through any sort of trauma in life. It was not easy for Ayesha Omar as well. In April last year, Omar opened up about being sexually assaulted

by someone influential in the entertainment industry, years ago. She talked about how the Me Too movement encouraged women around the world to talk about it.

In a recent interview with Waseem Badami on ARY News, she said she didn’t have the courage then to share her trauma with anyone.

“I am sorry to the person I was; had I shared it then, I would have been a stronger person today,” she said, overcome with emotions. She added that a lot of other girls also suffered the same fate. “Had I spoken up about it at that time, maybe it might have stopped.”

She also posted a note on Instagram to explain her point of view. “Not sure if I’ve ever cried on live television before, to be able to let your guard down and be vulnerable, to be able to talk about your painful and terrifying experiences from an honest place, to relive and recall traumatic times, to describe your feelings and talk to your younger self, it’s not easy,” she wrote.

She hoped that, by sharing her experience, she was able to help others who have had painful experiences or faced any kind of abuse or harassment to feel “a little less alone and a little more hopeful.”

“To find the strength to talk about their experience, to share it with someone and lighten the load, to forgive themselves over time, to try to let go of self-blame and self-deprecation and hold their perpetrators responsible,” she added.