From 25 November (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. This year’s theme is to “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work”. These 16 days we will be sharing the stories of our very own ‘Siyani Sahelian’ (Wise Friends) who have faced violence and freed themselves through education. There are many more like them but they are faceless; these have come to the forefront due to their deeds and images. 

Mahrukh is the first girl person in her family to have been enrolled in formal schooling. She is from a family of labourers from Mohajar Colony, Bahawalpur. As is unfortunately the case for many girls in rural Pakistan, culture was the reason girls in her family were historically kept from education. Mahrukh’s mother was always fond of watching girls going to school, getting dressed up in their uniforms and carrying their school bags early in the morning. Her mother always thought to herself that one day she would have a daughter that too would go to school with neatly parted hair and shiny shoes. This is why Mahrukh’s mother fought for Mahrukh’s education. 

Unfortunately, the rest of her family wasn’t as supportive. Mahrukh and her mother could keep up the fight for only so long. After Grade 4, Mahrukh had to drop out from school much to her dismay. Her mother still didn’t give up on the fight and involved extended family members. When Mahrukh’s family had finally come around to allowing their daughter to attend school with the help of extended family members, too much time had passed for Mahrukh to enroll in formal school. Luckily for her, the Siyani Sahelian program was exactly what she needed: accelerated learning allowing Mahrukh to catch-up with her peers and mainstream into formal schools. 

*Note: Names have been changed to protect the identity of the mentioned persons.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)