Modern women

This refers to the article, ‘The imagined threat of the ‘modern’ woman’ (Jul 21), by Ammar Ali Jan. It was a pleasantly refreshing column. That the writer would take out time to understand the rut that so many women in this part of the world are sucked into surprises many readers. Ammar’s column has hinted at the problems every young woman faces when she enters adulthood.

In Pakistan, women, from a young age, are conditioned to conform in order to exhibit a certain behavioural pattern. This hampers women’s self-esteem and often affects their ability to take decisions. This leads to depression and frustration that can often cause marital discord in later years. Regrettably, our society, our media and even learned scholars, whether conservative or liberal, have failed to debate and subsequently provide better role models that would successfully reconcile the best of modernity, culture and faith for women.

Sadia Mufti (Rawalpindi)