A fearless memoir about tribal life in Pakistan—and the act of violence that inspired one ambitious young woman to pursue a life of activism and female empowerment “Khalida Brohi understands the true nature of honor. She is fearless in her pursuit of justice and equality.”—Malala Yousafzai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize From a young age, Khalida Brohi was raised to believe in the sanctity of … to believe in the sanctity of arranged marriage. Her mother was forced to marry a thirteen-year-old boy when she was only nine; Khalida herself was promised as a bride before she was even born. But her father refused to let her become a child bride. He was a man who believed in education, not just for himself but for his daughters, and Khalida grew up thinking she would become the first female doctor in her small village. Khalida thought her life was proceeding on an unusual track for a woman of her circumstances, but one whose path was orderly and straightforward.
Everything shifted for Khalida when she found out that her beloved cousin had been murdered by her uncle in a tradition known as “honor killing.” Her cousin’s crime? She had fallen in love with a man who was not her betrothed. This moment ignited the spark in Khalida Brohi that inspired a globe-spanning career as an activist, beginning at the age of sixteen. From a tiny cement-roofed room in Karachi where she was allowed ten minutes of computer use per day, Brohi started a Facebook campaign that went viral. From there, she created a foundation focused on empowering the lives of women in rural communities through education and employment opportunities, while crucially working to change the minds of their male partners, fathers, and brothers.
This book is the story of how Brohi, while only a girl herself, shone her light on the women and girls of Pakistan, despite the hurdles and threats she faced along the way. And ultimately, she learned that the only way to eradicate the parts of a culture she despised was to fully embrace the parts of it that she loved.
Praise for I Should Have Honor
“Khalida Brohi’s moving story is a testament to what is possible no matter the odds. In her courageous activism and now in I Should Have Honor, Khalida gives a voice to the women and girls who are denied their own by society. This book is a true act of honor.”—Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org
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Khalida Brohi’s moving story is a testament to what is possible no matter the odds. In her courageous activism and now in I Should Have Honor, Khalida gives a voice to the women and girls who are denied their own by society. This book is a true act of honor.
A truly essential book for our daughters and sisters, but even more essential for our sons and brothers. . . . Brohi teaches all of us how to fight for justice, love, and the really radical idea of equal humanity without turning bitter or giving up on her past.
Khalida Brohi understands the true nature of honor. She is fearless in her pursuit of justice and equality.
Khalida Brohi is a leading voice against the practice of honor killings in her home country of Pakistan. She has started foundations to empower Pakistani women to get educations, earn their own incomes, and improve their lives.
I’m ashamed to say that I had never heard of her before reading her memoir.
I was a bit familiar with the practice of honor killings and was of course appalled by them. The patriarch of a family apparently has complete discretion to order a woman in the family to be killed if she brings dishonor on the family. In the examples in the book, this usually comes about when a “woman” (usually barely past puberty) decides to run away with a man who hasn’t been chosen for her by her elders. It seems to be common for girls to be promised in marriage to other families at incredibly young ages, sometimes even before birth. The girls aren’t allowed any voice in the matter.
When Ms. Brohi’s cousin is the victim of an honor killing, Khalida launches a crusade to change things in Pakistan. Her road isn’t easy. Her parents educated her and encouraged her but even they sometimes struggled with her choices, especially when her activism brought dangerous attention her way.
Young women like Khalida Brohi and Malala Yousafzai are where my hope for our future lies. They have overcome such immense challenges to cause such amazing changes. Khalida sees what is good in her culture and shares that here but she’s trying to effect change to make the terrible parts better. She has learned the importance of working within her cultural framework; change that is too fast or radical doesn’t garner the support that it needs and just upsets everyone.
Never doubt that one person can change the world; Khalida is one person who is doing it.
I Should Have Honor tells the story of how the author fought against honor killings in Pakistan after learning early on what happens to her female friends and cousins who don’t follow the centuries-old rules.
Brohi gets invited to conferences around the world to speak about the inhumane practices that women have to endure-married off at early ages, beatings by their husbands, and unable to leave their homes without permission. She also attempts to change the mindsets of the tribal leaders in the villages where she grew up. Her true-to-life stories are difficult to read at times, but give a real portrayal of what it’s like to be female in a Muslim and male-dominated world.
Khalida Brohi’s powerful storytelling exposes the little-known world of tribal Pakistan and the injustices facing women there. With insight and determination, she explores the most entrenched social customs facing women today and shares her secrets for innovation, impact, and success. This story is timely not just for those who care about women’s rights but for anyone involved in activism, community mobilization, and social entrepreneurship.