Famous Pakistani actress and YouTuber Ayesha Omar recently opened up about the challenges women face in the country and related her own early experiences with harassment. She voiced her serious concerns about Pakistan’s lack of safe public spaces for women during a discussion on the Adnan Faisal Podcast. She brought attention to the problem of women feeling insecure on the streets and roads. She declared that she no longer felt secure in her native country and acknowledged the ongoing fear and uncertainty that exist there.
Furthermore, she is thinking of leaving the country due to the present state of the economy and the safety of women there. “I don’t feel safe here. I want to be able to walk on the road. It’s a basic human need to be able to walk outside in the open air. All these women in your office, can you guys walk on the street? Isn’t that sad? I don’t want to sit in a car. I want to cycle. Why can’t I ride a bike,” the celebrity lamented the poor status of women’s security in the Islamic Republic.
She explained the particular difficulties that Pakistani women confront and pointed out that men might never really understand the constant trepidation and stress that women experience on a daily basis. “Men can never understand what Pakistani women grow up with. As much as you try, you cannot. Because of the fear that a woman has in this country, sure, he who has daughters may understand. Being in a woman’s shoes and understanding that is impossible. You’re anxious every second.”
She emphasised that safety and freedom are fundamental human needs and expressed her sincere wish for a time when women are able to move freely within their nation without dread of abduction, rape or mugging. “When will the time come when I can roam freely in my country? Without the fear of being kidnapped, without the fear of being raped, without the fear of being mugged. It’s a basic human need. Freedom and safety.”
While admitting that crime exists in every nation, she argued for a shift in societal perceptions and the establishment of a safe environment in which people, especially women can stroll on the street without fear. She shared stories of being followed, catcalled and harassed in order to bring attention to the upsetting reality that many women encounter when trying to enjoy public settings.
“There is crime in every country in the world. But people can, at least, walk on the road. You can’t even go to the park without ten people following you or catcalling you. They say weird things, they try to touch you. What do you do? What do you do,” the Pakistani star questioned helplessly. “We can go to the enclosed places but not everyone can afford access to these alternative spaces,” she concluded.
She unveiled that the cook of her neighbour had made unwanted attempts to touch her and went on to add that she feels frightened even in posh areas. The actor pointed out that the COVID-19 shutdown was the only time she felt comfortable walking around the city. She disclosed that her mother intends to depart the nation and that her brother who was born in Pakistan now resides in Denmark.
Watch the entire interview below: