A true sight of empowering women – Sabiha Shah and her ‘Ladies Dhaba’

Karachi: Most dhabas are reserved for men who consume refreshing doodh pattis while chatting with their buddies. A dhaba in a shabby Karachi neighbourhood, on the other hand, has offered women with a space to unwind after a long day.

Maripur, a melting pot of groups living together regardless of ethnicity or religion, stretches from near Kemari in the south of Karachi to Mubarak Village and Hawksbay.

The majority of Maripur households are founded on a joint family arrangement, which implies that the husband’s parents, siblings, and their spouses all live together. Jobs and enterprises are generally dominated by men, and the majority of work is tied to the sea, fishing, and transportation.

Many people from surrounding areas, however, are unaware of the underlying and widely accepted norm that Maripur’s women cannot leave the bounds of their homes alone. This unstated diktat forbids them from leaving the house unless accompanied by a man — be it their children, brothers, fathers, spouses, or an elderly woman from the household.

Six months ago, a ray of hope appeared in such a setting. Sabiha Shah established a ‘Ladies Dhaba’ to encourage local women to come, socialise, study, and unite in a safe setting. The Women Development Foundation Pakistan funded the Community Peace & Harmony Center in order to instil confidence in women and offer them lessons on crafting and other such skills.

“While men in our society have many places to sit and chat and find opportunities for rest and recreation, women in our society live with the same routine in their homes, which rusts their creative talents and ability to think outside the box,” said Sabiha Shah, founder of Women Development Foundation Pakistan and ‘Ladies Dhaba.’

“Women should be given equal opportunity to grow and cultivate their talent, and there is no religious prohibition on women engaging in healthy activities, but women are unable to display their full potential owing to various cultural boundaries.The dhaba is organised in such a way that even males may sit and rest,” Shah said.

“The change we are bringing about through this dhaba is very positively received by the area women.” She added.

When they meet women from various locations at the dhaba on a daily basis, they have access to information and raise their understanding of a variety of concerns. “Sometimes, consulate officials have visited the location and expressed their surprise at the freedom afforded to the women of this slum region of Karachi, which is significantly less developed than other parts of Pakistan’s largest city.”

Health workers, teachers, and others who are able to leave the house for work assemble in the late afternoons and evenings to de-stress. They can get tea and snacks at the ‘dhaba,’ as well as carrom and board games like ludo.

While the training programmes include stitching and cosmetology, the dhaba also focuses on social development and serves as a women’s community centre. Previously, the space held awareness seminars, puppet performances, film screenings, and training on recycling and business skills for women who wish to contribute to the family income but are unable to leave the house.

Shah firmly believes that there’s a helping partner behind every successful man. She explained that most men start poor, and grow steadily over time. But a household gains significantly if there is a collaboration between the husband and wife, which, thus, becomes a more feasible path to choose.

At first, numerous men were hesitant to let their wives, sisters, and daughters spend time at such a place since it is out of their comfort zone. But Shah worked tirelessly to make it happen – she even met some of these men to describe what her project is and how it will be beneficial for their families. She only managed to convince some of them, though.

Many of the women, on the other hand, were unsure whether they could join in these activities. They expressed concerns regarding authorisation and security, as well as the presence of unfamiliar men (or na-mehram).

“Our message is one of peace.” Peace fosters harmony and friendly behaviour in the home. If the women are content, their families will be content.”

Shah works hard to ensure that women’s privacy is not violated and that they are at ease enough to be themselves and learn fully.

The Community Peace & Harmony Center hopes that picnickers on their way to the beach will stop by their dhaba, which is one of its ongoing projects. It accomplishes this by sending interns on outreach programmes to several neighbouring communities for promotion.

With only one other such dhaba in Baldia Town and a small staff of employees and interns – who are paid a stipend of Rs. 5,000 – Shah intends to develop such gathering spots in every neighbourhood of Karachi. She has already gotten numerous calls from people requesting that she reproduce her idea overseas, but she is still awaiting funds for it.