IMOW - Building a Global Community

Stories

Themes

Love
Relationships in changing times. See the Stories>>

Money
Working women talk finances. See the Stories>>

Culture and Conflict
Are we destined to disagree? See the Stories>>

The Future
Envisioning the next 30 years. See the Stories>>

Highlights
Highlighted stories in film, art, music and more. See the Stories>>

War & Dialogue
Speaking from war. Advocating peace. See the Stories>>

Young Men
Our generation: young men speak out. See the Stories>>

Motherhood
Women get candid about pregnancy, parenting and choice. See the Stories>>

Image and Identity
Appearances aren't everything, or are they? See the Stories>>

Online Film Festival
31 films from women directors around the world. See the Stories>>

A Generation Defined
Who are young women today? See the Stories>>

Best of Contest
You came, you saw, you voted. Here are the winners. See the Stories>>

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Building a Global Community
Assabah Khan

GALLERY

CONVERSATION

I wrote "Breaking the Silence," an essay about women in Kashmir, for the Image and Identity theme.

Visiting Imagining Ourselves, I've heard from other women struggling with similar problems. I realized that women around the world share common experiences. This sense of a global community of women has helped me understand that my struggles are not just my own - they belong to women everywhere.

These connections have given me the strength to speak out. Living in Kashmir, I constantly encounter people who are trying to control my behavior. Women here are not allowed to be themselves at home or in public.

This silencing is exacerbated because Kashmiri women live in a conflict zone. Both the military and the militants suffocate the voices of women. The fighting leaves many women widowed and unable to make a living.

I often feel that I am invisible and voiceless in Kashmir. That is why I looked to Imagining Ourselves as my outlet - it has given me a space to speak about my personal struggles, and at the same time, it has shown the world the oppression of women in places like Kashmir.
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