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As-salāmuʿalaykum ال َّسَلاُم َعَلْیُكْم everyone! My name is Hafsa Waheed Jaral and I come from a rundown residential community in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Belonging to a predominantly patriarchal society, I have combated male chauvinism since my birth. Believing strongly that both the genders are integral constituents of society, I advocate for equality.
Having history of mental illness in my family has opened my eyes to the plight of women in Pakistan who battle this. Many are ridiculed and claimed to be superstitious. Depression and anxiety are considered as mere attention-grabbing ploys. It is this despicable attitude towards mental health combined with my desire to empower women of my community which propagated me to become a part of TeenzTalk. Nadia Ghaffari’s ‘TeenzTalk’ initiative henceforth provided me with an opportunity to not only get my vision and thoughts across the global community but has also inspired me to begin a similar endeavour in my own country. By bringing together teens on the foundation of shared passions, hobbies, routines and last but not least struggles, TeenzTalk is an excellent platform for the youth of not only U.S.A but the entire world. |
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