Daily Times

What is wrong with our world is not flaws in systemic functioning, but major defects in thinking and operating with people who we “think” are inferior. Whether its racism or women’s rights, Science acceptance or common sense, every emerging problem is a shock to the mind. But beware, women`s rights are not a difference of opinion. They’re a basic human right and not a petty privilege, as some grant it to be.

There has been an emergence of many new movements amongst the highest-ranked women rights social action protests. Some of them include high-profile cases and some include less-observed ones, but no matter the attention, its impact is widely felt by those who feel threatened by it. They can make up excuses, and extremely lame justifications to prove women`s rights is a western thought. But it’s not. It’s a human thought, and a legitimate one, too. And anyone who thinks otherwise can count themselves in the category I mentioned earlier. No offence, but its the truth and knowing that at least one person got something out of a piece is enough satisfaction for a Journalist, because at the end of the day, we`re not changing minds, we`re just laying out the facts. People make their own minds.

Addressing the elephant in the room, we must move to the Meesha Shafi case. Long-time celebrity and talented singer Meesha Shafi was allegedly harassed by another famous celebrity, Ali Zafar. Now, he claims she defamed him and she claims that she was harassed and denies these allegations. Honestly, big and bold change starts with this one case. I`m not taking sides here, though I do like Meesha`s music, but the stakes couldn’t be higher than this. We live in not a religiously but a politically conservative nation which the stakes couldn’t be higher than this. We live in not a religiously but a politically conservative nation which would easily welcome any decision favouring a man, but would resist any female rights. This resistance would surely help shape a new journey and we must believe that we are just a few steps away from equality, though it me seem completely impossible.

A report by OHCHR outlined the importance of the basic right women have to live equally or above men, “The universality of human rights and their validity in a given local context have often been contested through relativist discourses that brand them as foreign ideas incompatible with local culture”. This basically echoes the idea for questioning western acceptance. It goes on to say, “The definition of discrimination in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women encompasses a variety of possible discriminatory actions (any distinction, exclusion or restriction) having either the express purpose or the actual effect of discriminating against women.”

Now there are some conservatives who come dispute with this saying women have a much greater position than men. But keep in mind, women are not even given enough say in deciding their futures, much less promoting them to the point that they`re independent.

This is valuable effort that people like Meesha Shafi has taken. Her courage is commendable. Her bravery is praiseworthy. Her honesty is praiseworthy and her valour is admirable, because she knew that living in a male-dominant society, she would become controversial, but she went ahead with the right choice, no matter the outcome.

However, some argue of the extremist views of some who have an attraction towards these rights and argue that there will be less effect on the general society. And they are kind of right. If we’ve learned anything from the past year with calls of racial justice, it’s that you can change politics, you can change policy, but you can’t change views and you most certainly cannot make people think one way and restrict other schools of thoughts. That’s not a democratic system and if it weren’t for that system, we would not be having this discussion right now.