Talking about our bodies: a tale of Eiynah, the taboo-breaker!

Team-DRF tried to gather some stories from Pakistanis for the international Take Back the Tech! 16Days campaign. Here is the story of Eiynah who writes on sexual issues on her blog Nice Mangoes. 

“I am a Pakistani-Canadian female blogger/artist and I write/draw about desi sexuality. A topic that many wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, I’ve chosen to confront, dissect and discuss. Some call it bold and some call it insane… because obviously, being a Pakistani woman and talking openly about the body and its nooks & crannies comes with its disadvantages, its threats and of course its hate mail.

I anticipated that though… so getting lewd comments and anonymous sexually explicit messages doesn’t phase me. We are from a sexually repressed society and any mention of sex coming from a woman is thought to be an open invitation for such remarks, by many.

My aim is to pass on some very basic facts, and open the channel of communication for things that so many people are confused about in our culture. I want to create awareness about things like equality in the bedroom, and Child Sex Abuse… And when I get harassed about raising my voice regarding these things… this is when I’m surprised. I mean, who in their right minds would be against talking about these issues? Who would send me threats about keeping my mouth shut about Child Sex Abuse? Who on earth are these sick minded Pakistanis that view this as me ‘airing Pakistan’s dirty laundry in public’ ? Honestly you’d be surprised at how many comments and angry emails/tweets I receive… telling me to keep our country’s darker side hidden, because apparently speaking about such ills will only bring shame upon us. What a twisted way to view our reality…

This is exactly the kind of mentality that inspires my blog. Despite me being called a devil-worshipper, wannabe atheist, slut, etc… I am motivated to keep writing about such things because I can see it making a difference. I get emails every week from people regarding their stories of abuse. Some of them wish to share on the blog and some don’t. But sharing at all is a huge first step, some have come forward saying that they have never had the courage to speak out before they read others stories on my blog.

So these things definitely outweigh the negative.

I am a woman, a Pakistani woman – And I WILL keep speaking about how Pakistanis from different walks of life, different genders, different orientations are treated unjustly because of their sexuality. It doesn’t matter how many cowards I piss off. Go ahead and leave me your empty words.

Now I’m no sex expert, and never have I claimed to be. I’m just someone with an interest in getting some basic information across – especially to women and the men in their lives….