Kanwal Ahmed created a Facebook group called "Soul Sisters" so that Pakistani women can speak out on several taboo topics in their country, such as domestic violence or divorce.
In Pakistan, many topics such as sex, divorce and domestic violence remain taboo and deemed inappropriate. Kanwal Ahmed is however determined to change the situation in his still very conservative country. She thus created a group Facebook baptized "Soul Sisters" so as to free the voice of Pakistani women and give them the opportunity to discuss their personal problems. "The women in Pakistan are really, really strong. We have a voice. We just don't have enough space to use this voice", says Kanwal Ahmed. "I wanted this to be the kind of place where women really opened up without fear of being attacked, harassed or judged," she adds about her group Facebook.
Former makeup artist, the young woman understood the need to create a safe space while it was not uncommon for many women to confide in her in her beauty salon. Sure Soul Sisters, women can now "talk about things they weren't supposed to talk about in society"because they are deemed inappropriate or shameful.
In 2018, Facebook selected Kanwal Ahmed from 6000 applicants as one of 115 "community leaders " who use the social network to help others. She thus received a grant to develop her project.
Members of Soul Sisters Pakistan can speak openly about issues such as maternal and mental health, body image and reproductive rights, with frankness not possible in the real world.
One of the most discussed topics is domestic violence, very common in the patriarchal country. Data from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences suggest that 90 percent of the country's women have already been victims of domestic violence.
Unfortunately, when victims open up about it, even their families, they are very rarely taken seriously. "It is very common for them to be told that they are too sensitive or that they have to compromise. They are not given any other options.Kanwal Ahmed regrets, stressing that women should not be subjected to abuse for any reason.
According to the UN, Pakistan lacks access to affordable services in "sectors such as health, police, justice and social support"to ensure the safety and protection of women. Soul Sisters thus offers informal help to its users, ranging from legal advice to emotional support.
The group Facebook is widely criticized in the country but its creator does not give up and struggles to break the stereotypes of the country. Soul Sisters also helps women to to love and take care of their body. The hashtag #MyBodyIsNotASecret highlights the changing standards of a generation that saw the global impact of the movement #MeToo. "There is a lot of shame associated with a woman's body"Kanwal Ahmed admits, explaining that one member shared his struggle with vaginismus, which helped others identify the symptoms.
The creator of Soul Sisters also says she lost a friend to breast cancer after the disease was not diagnosed in time and was not treated because she had "too ashamed to talk about her body with anyone". "It's not a new story. It's something that happens to a lot of women.", concludes Kanwal Ahmed.