This YouTube Star Wants You To Know That Its OK to Get Married When You Like

Thoughts?

The pressure to get married in our society is real. Shaadi (marriage) is usually seen as the only true goal of a woman’s life. It is often tied quite closely to your age, looks, and weight. Once a lady is past her early twenties, the idea that Pakistani women can stay single is highly frowned upon.

Pakistani YouTube star Madiha Shahid wants to change these attitudes. After getting married in her 30s, she released a long heartfelt statement about her decision on social media.

To all the people who hounded her about her plans for marriage she only ever responded, “I will, at the right time”. She further questions the kind of pressure that comes onto young girls after marriage, as she is made responsible for the whole family as soon as she becomes a bahu.

Generally, in a society like ours, the importance of a girl’s marriage makes everything else in her life secondary. From education and career, to her motivations, dreams, and independence – all of these things take a step back to their marital status.


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It’s upsetting to see that Madiha’s courage and decision to get married at her own time are so rare in our country. This pressure to marry off early is part of a whole slew of other traditions and social norms that feed into extremely patriarchal structures.

Because of all the pressures of raising and judgments that are to come, male children are still preferred over female children. Girls are also raised to believe their only goal is marriage, making them base their entire life decisions around the hope of getting a good rishta (match).

shaadi stereotypes Madiha shahid

But as Madiha Shahid says, marriage is a big deal and it should be considered when both partners are ready to handle it.

It’s upsetting to see us stuck in that same old patriarchal narrative when there is so much progress to be made. But let’s hope Madiha can be an inspiration to the many girls and women across the country who feel that same pressure.