The disaster that liberated me
October 7, 2015 7:21 AM   Subscribe

When the Kashmir earthquake struck in October 2005, Tabinda Kokab was a teacher in a remote village close to the epicentre. She recalls the day that changed her life, and how it forced her to throw off the expectations that Pakistani society had placed on her as a woman.

Kokab has also talked to the BBC World Service's Fifth Floor programme about her experience of the earthquake. She's previously been interviewed by the show about her role as one of the four, all-female anchors of BBC Urdu's current affairs programme, Sairbeen.
posted by daisyk (5 comments total) 19 users marked this as a favorite
 
Wow, that second link is a terrific read—thanks for posting it. I like that she's not complacent about her own fortunate outcome:
But I don't want to overstate the effect of the earthquake on women's position in Muzaffarabad. Most of the woman I knew who - like me - were working for NGOs after the disaster are now housewives. OK, being married and taking care of your family is good. But I want to ask these women, What about you? Where is your career? Where is your personality?

Their husbands won't let them work. And although right now my nieces look up to me and say they want to be journalists too, I don't know if that will happen, because in our society, the view prevails that good girls stay at home. Women like me, who go out and work, and don't feel afraid to address themselves to anyone, are judged in Pakistan. We have, people say, failings in our "character".

It will take more than an earthquake to change that mind-set - it will take a whole generation.
posted by languagehat at 8:29 AM on October 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


Yeah, it's a very straightforward and very honest account.
Before long, an 18 year-old woman, so lovely and grown-up, approached our group. Overflowing with excitement, she grabbed hold of my hand, saying, "Teacher I remember you, and I think about you often."

It was so lovely to see her. It emerged that she had left school when she was about 12, and I told her to go back to her studies.

She said, "OK, I will, because you gave me the order and I will not refuse you."
Hopefully, with this piece she'll reach and affect more young women.
posted by hat_eater at 8:39 AM on October 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


This piece blew me away. Like languagehat, her lack of complacency is a great thing to see. I do hope that it will not take another natural disaster to put more people like her into society.
posted by Hactar at 9:41 AM on October 7, 2015


Great story.
posted by limeonaire at 3:56 PM on October 7, 2015


Wow. What a powerful story.
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:30 PM on October 7, 2015


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