“I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.”
–Susan B. Anthony
In the contemporary time, women’s rights have greatly been ameliorated. However, as a part of the first wave of Feminism, few people have made a greater impact for the status of women as done by Susan B. Anthony in the United States. In 1872, women had no suffrage in the United States. But one woman defied the norm. One woman chose to vote. She did not care if she were to be imprisoned for this noble act of defiance. She only knew she had to break the norm. As we mourn the passing of Ms. Asma Jahangir, we need more heroes to take up the mantle here in Pakistan. In Pakistan, the issue is not of suffrage. The issue is to instil a culture of women leadership in Pakistan, where the fight against sexism, sexual harassment and for general economic uplifting is so strong that it becomes incessant – and above all else, inspiring.