what makes a woman, a self?

i acknowledge that a person is the sum of all her attributes, her beliefs, her causes, her ideas. but i also strongly believe that in essence, we are all humans and in being human, we are all equal. or at least, should be. regardless. this is especially so in relation to who we help. who we include and exclude from our circle reflects greatly on who we are as a person. as an individual, i am not only a woman, but also a Muslim, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a postgraduate, a photographer, inclined towards activism, human. if the argument pertains to the question of the 'secular', all, except for one of the above-mentioned identities is secular in nature. if it pertains to that of gender, only three of them are gendered identities. and yet, we constantly embed gendered stereotypes onto those other traits. woman. feminized. bodily. roles within private and public spheres. perspectives. decisions. Muslim women are repressed. Mothers are mothers, not full-time professionals. Women are weak. an age old discourse that has been debated over and over again. a new discourse should be encouraged with regards to women & society, women in society. one that reflects a humanistic perspective. one that includes, not demarcating boundaries. one that enables us to dispel judgment and stereotypes. all sisters. all humans.


Woman to Woman from nuruL H. on Vimeo.