I walked on Dhaka streets yesterday. It felt so refreshing to be able to walk on pavements again. Even amidst the stares.
Pedestrians stared, police stared, rickshaw pullers and passengers stared, young children stared, beggars stared, people by roadside tea stalls stared, even passengers in cars fast speeding away stared.
Our clothes, our looks, our walk, our ethnicity, our class, even our past were being speculated by the passersby.
I walked with a friend deep in conversation. But we did hear the few snide comments. Ordinarily I would have stopped and castigated them. But then I thought why ruin this unique opportunity of actually walking through Dhaka streets by yelling at a random chauvinistic stranger?
So I walked, head held high, talking to my friend.
Perhaps it was Iffat Nawaz who said it, or perhaps someone else, but as I walked and now in retrospection, I feel it is just about time that we reclaimed our streets.
Perhaps the more young females are seen walking on the streets, the more sensitized people will become.
It is definitely worth a shot. Such a small pastime and a fundamental right feel like a luxury to us.
1 comment:
Thousands of women garment workers are walking the streets of Dhaka on a daily basis and they are putting up with the lewd comments and stares of passerbys. I dont think the increased number of women on the street will reduce the harassment. Unless men and boys are taught to respect women at home they will not change their attitude towards women on the streets.
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