Minal creating a nature installation to cover an exposed nail; Karachi 2011

The accepted statistic that “one in three women will suffer sexual abuse” feels antiquated. It has taken me years to heal from #MeToo encounters that I experienced—on the street with strangers, at the homes of friends with their fathers, and at my house by domestic help—and I remember the stories about date rape and incest that my friends and past students have shared with me. And fourteen years ago, when I learned that I was pregnant with a girl, my first response was exhilaration. But the second thought that floated through my mind was: How will I protect her?

The reality that women must be ready to defend ourselves has not changed since my childhood or since my daughter’s birth. Today, I wonder if the voices that are rising today are a trend, or will we see truly see a change in our lifetime?

Minal’s nature installation to cover an exposed nail; Karachi 2011

24 Oct 2017 · 12:38:39 PM