International Women's Day '24 Event: Women Without Borders Featuring Jennifer Hall Lee

Jennifer Hall Lee’s recount of the lives of Pakistani women and feminism was interesting. Given the constraints Pakistan’s patriarchal society imposes on women, the level of study on feminism was so important to hear. In the U.S. and the UK, we are served this very narrow view of the Greater Middle East, so breaking down those misconceptions and hearing different stories about Middle Eastern women is vital. Lee’s parallelism between her experiences with second-wave feminism and the current feminist movement in Pakistan was also insightful. This made me realize the importance of feeling safe and heard in the “public space;” mentioning the gay liberation movement in the late 20th century, Lee noted that one must feel that they can do the things that anyone else can in the "public space" without being ridiculed, catcalled, subjugated, or opressed. I think that this idea of feeling appreciated and safe in the public space speaks to so many issues in today's world.