Shabanu: Defying Society

I’m Shabanu and I ‘m 12 years old. I live with Dadi, Mama, my sister Phulan , Auntie, Sher Dil, our dog, and our caravan of camels. We live in Pakistan and we are practicing Muslims. In our faith men have much more power over the family than women. If Dadi says something we should do like we need to move like on page 4 when Dadi says “What’s left in the toba is not fit for the camels, let alone for us. We must pack tomorrow”. Or Shabanu we need to get water from the toba, there is no debating it. Sometimes I try to argue with him but it never works, most of the time he yells at me and sometimes when gets really mad he even threatens to beat me. I have a very mixed relationship with Dadi. Sometimes I love him like when we go to the Sibi fair. Other times I can get very mad at Dadi like the time he sold Guluband our most beautiful camel. I will never be free, now I’m forced to listen to Dadi and next year I will have to marry and he will give me orders. It’s like I work for them. My sister thinks nothing of it. She thinks that I should’t get upset about listening to what Dadi says even if I disagree with it. I want to be free one day like Sharma who is strong and independent. She is like a role model to me. Something that separates me from my sister is that I help Dadi get water from the toba, and go to the Sibi fair where there are only men, while Phulan stays at home and helps Mama cook and clean.

This picture represents how girls can do more than just cook and clean. Shabanu is a very good example of tghis.

http://http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/files/live/sites/almonitor/files/images/afppics/2017/05/906b841a9acd6f8d1921cb8c9446c722ade38869.jpg