Dear Readers,
Digital 50.50’s second edition, “Feminist Futures Online: Women’s Rights in the Digital Age,” our special Women’s Day edition, is finally out. While delayed, the conversations within this issue
remain deeply urgent and relevant.
For over eight years, women across Pakistan have marched, organised, resisted and demanded their rights, yet they continue to face attempts to control and exclude them from both online and public spaces. This edition reflects on where women stand today despite technological advancement, growing conversations around feminist futures, and global commitments to gender equality. Even now, women are denied fundamental rights at home, in
workplaces and in society at large.
We continue to witness women being judged for their appearance and subjected to moral policing in professional spaces, as seen in the targeting of journalist Gharida Farooqi. We see survivors being silenced for speaking about abuse, as reflected in the recent Meesha Shafi defamation verdict. We see families still fighting for justice even after loss, as in the ongoing proceedings related to Sana Yousaf’s case.
This issue brings together stories, reflections, and analyses that highlight the many fronts on which women and gender-diverse people continue to struggle. Despite excelling across every
sphere of life, women are still fighting for something basic, which is to have their voices heard and to be recognised as equal citizens.
As editors, this edition is especially close to our hearts because it not only exposes the systemic barriers women face but also celebrates the resilience, resistance and possibilities that emerge
despite them. Women continue to move forward, create, lead, and succeed, often in the face of immense hostility.
We hope this edition offers not only inspiration, but also solidarity and strength for anyone fighting for a more just and equal future in this country and region.
This edition is dedicated to all women and gender-diverse people striving to build better futures for themselves and for others.
With love,
Seerat Khan
Co-editors: Sara Imran, Maria Nazar and Ahsan Zahid
Illustrator: Emil Hasnain