The latest contest by ladies of Hive Community demands ladies to post their original pictures of their refrigerators or/and closets with them in the pics to prove that the belongings are theirs. I asked the admin
What about those ladies who do not post their pictures on social media because of cultural constraints or reasons alike? What if I take the pics with my son as a proof????
Responding to my comment, @consciouscat showed an interest in knowing what can those culturals reasons be
I'd love to read about what the cultural reasons are so the rest of us who don't experience these constraints can better understand your life.
This very post is inspired by her comment to explain why we are reluctant to show our faces in the online world. I would also like to invite @ayesha-malik, a Pakistani friend, to add her point of views about our cultural scenerios, as she also doesn't shares her pictures anywhere in the social media.
The first and foremost important reason of not uploading my images or of any other lady is our religious teachings and cultural mindset about hijab. Though there are controversies about what hijab actually refers to (either it includes or excludes face from hiding from others), the cultural ideologies and mindset refrain us from showing our faces unnecessarily. What that mindset is. .. the text follows.
In our society, the dignity, honour and chastity of women is given utmost importance. Pre-marital sex and extra marital affairs are unforgivable sins. Though, in Islam these sins are unforgivable for both the genders, yet the patriarchal society isn't that strict about men as it is about women. If any stain or objection comes to woman's charater (for example, having an illegal relationship), it brings the shame to the whole family. The families are taunted by the society aggressively. The scenario brings too many problems for the whole family, and the woman herself has to go through too much emotional problems.
The patriarchalism creates an undue pressure on women to safeguard her from any mishaps, because if there happens anything wrong with her it would be she whose character would be judged. It would be traced what loopholes and flaws are in her character that brought the wrong doer to her. Even if there is no apparent flaw in her character, people will still blame her for some hidden flaw.
We know that the images that are available online can be accessed by anyone, and with the development of technology can be fakely reproduced into anything else. Such images, if gone public, are a potential threat for the woman's dignity in the society. I know these cases do not happen with everyone, yet the chances of their happening is never 0 percent. You never know what the future may bring with it.
In order to avoid any such threat we totally avoid uploading our pictures. Though there are families who allow their ladies to public their pictures, yet my family do not; but I have no problem with this restriction. I know this is for my protection.
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P.S: I would like to state I respect all the cultures. The women who display their pictures publically are equally respectable for me as are those who do not. My faith and religion do not allow me to judge anyone. I do what I feel right in the given circumstances, and everyone has the right to do what they feel is right provided no one is hurt.