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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Anmol Irfan

I stopped relying on other people to make plans – as a woman in Pakistan, that’s no small thing

‘Going out alone for leisure in Pakistan is seen as strange, but beyond the occasional questioning glance, I realised most people admired it.’
‘Going out alone for leisure in Pakistan is seen as strange, but beyond the occasional questioning glance, I realised most people admired it.’ Photograph: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images

When Lost Migrations, an animated film series I’d been waiting to see for months, finally premiered in Karachi earlier this year, I immediately saved the date in my calendar. But instead of doing what I, or anyone around me, would usually do – coordinate with a group of friends – I decided to go alone.

A few years ago, the idea of doing anything alone, much less in Pakistan as a woman, would have seemed impossible. Women in Pakistan are generally expected to socialise inside, rather than in public (although there are growing attempts to challenge this by women’s movements), and many believe there can be safety risks to going out alone.

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