A Woman’s Dignity Is Not Conditional

A woman's dignity is not defined by her marital status. A widow has dignity. A non virgin has dignity. A woman who has suffered sexual abuses has dignity. A woman who does not meet society’s superficial standards of desirability has dignity. A woman—whether she is 28 or 38—deserves respect and autonomy over her own body.


Yet, in workplaces, in public spaces, and even in homes, many aged women are treated as though they are disposable. If she has lost something in life—whether it be her youth, her beauty, or her supposed "purity"—society discards her, leaving her vulnerable to harassment and exploitation.


In many places, particularly in Pakistan, women who are past their youth face systemic dehumanization. Their original documents are taken from them—whether by employers or institutions—leaving them without the power to move forward in life. The C.E.O does not respect her. The manager does not respect her. The sweeper does not respect her. No one respect her. Because she is aged.


Instead, she is pushed into uncomfortable relationships within the office, not of her own will but through forceful circumstances. The men around her—whether they are office boys or managers—constantly harass her. When she complains, she is met with silence, laughter, or labels. “She is mentally unstable.” “She is just seeking attention.” “She wants this.”


And so, she remains trapped...


Harassment is not just a touch. It is the invasion of a woman’s space. It is taking her food without permission. It is standing too close when she enters the office kitchen. It is forcing her into a conversation she never wanted. It is making decisions for her body, her relationships, and her worth, without her consent.


And when she speaks up, she is not heard. She tells her own brother that she is being harassed by an office boy, yet he does nothing. Because in his eyes, she is “not a virgin, mentally unstable, and just looking for male attention.” He does not protect her. Instead, he complains about her.


This is how society conditions men—to see a woman not as a human being with boundaries, but as something they can decide the worth of. If she is not young, if she is not married, if she has a past, she is not worthy of respect.


No matter what has happened to a woman, if it was not by her consent, it was a violation. If a woman is not a virgin, she still deserves respect. If a woman does not have an attractive body, she still deserves respect. If a woman is traumatized by past experiences, she still deserves respect. If a woman is unmarried at 38 or 39, it is not her fault.


Every woman grows up with the hope of being loved, protected, and cherished by a man who sees her as a human being, not as an object. And yet, many women grow older realizing that the world only gave them conditions to exist under.


Men, stop deciding a woman’s worth based on her past, her looks, or her age. Respect is not given in exchange for youth or beauty—it is a birthright.


And to those in power, remember: when a woman says she is harassed, she is not "imagining things." She is not "making it up." She is not "mentally unstable." She is telling you the truth.


Believe her before it is too late.


Thank You for reading 🙏 😊

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