WHAT IF I WERE A BOY?

- Mariam Junaid Sheikh

Sometimes I think to myself,

What if I were a boy?

I wouldn’t be scared and paranoid walking down the road alone,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to rip off every strand of my body hair just to be accepted,

Only if I were a boy;

My unshaved legs wouldn’t become the theme of your next stand up,

Only if I were a boy;

Mutilation wouldn’t be considered as a normal practice,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be judged on things as basic as a showing bra strap,

Only if I were a boy;

Marriage would only be considered a part of my life,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to see my parents pay dowry, lay down their respect just to get me married,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to ask for equal property rights,

Only if I were a boy;

My body wouldn’t be a piece of gossip,

Only if I were a boy;

My virginity wouldn’t define my character,

Only if I were a boy;

I would get paid equally,

Only if I were a boy;

The length of my skirt wouldn’t define my morality,

Only if I were a boy;

“Wear something longer, there are men around” wouldn’t be heard every hour,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to bear a child for 9 months or endure the pain of childbirth but my name would be included with its,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be called out for being opinionated,

Only if I were a boy;

I could roam around freely at any hour without being judged,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have excruciating cramps every month,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be shamed on wanting to smoke,

Only if I were a boy;

Dressing up wouldn’t mean that I was asking for it,

Only if I were a boy;

My insecurities wouldn’t be exploited and turned into businesses,

Only if I were a boy;

It’d be okay for me to have sexual desires,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to make a stranger’s home my own,

Only if I were a boy;

Compromise in every situation wouldn’t be taught to me,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be expected to fall into the notion of “stupid and pretty”,

Only If I were a boy;

I could wear whatever I want and still not be a topic over tea,

Only if I were a boy;

How do you manage wouldn’t be a question tag on any of my achievements,

Only if I were a boy;

Fighting like me wouldn’t be an insult,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t picture myself as the next Asifa or the next Zainab,

Only if I were a boy;

my sole duty wouldn’t be considered to be bearing a child,

Only if I were a boy;

after watching movies I would picture myself as the hero that saved the day, not the helpless who needed saving,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have acid thrown on my face,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to go an extra mile to be taken seriously,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be threatened by the glances of every other passerby,

Only if I were a boy;

I would have more than a line in history books,

Only if I were a boy;

While living in this modern society I wouldn’t have to fight for my rights,

Only if I were a boy;

Would life really be this intoxicating if I were a boy?

sometimes I think to myself,

What if I were a boy?

Sometimes I think to myself,

What if I were a boy?

I wouldn’t be scared and paranoid walking down the road alone,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to rip off every strand of my body hair just to be accepted,

Only if I were a boy;

My unshaved legs wouldn’t become the theme of your next stand up,

Only if I were a boy;

Mutilation wouldn’t be considered as a normal practice,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be judged on things as basic as a showing bra strap,

Only if I were a boy;

Marriage would only be considered a part of my life,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to see my parents pay dowry, lay down their respect just to get me married,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to ask for equal property rights,

Only if I were a boy;

My body wouldn’t be a piece of gossip,

Only if I were a boy;

My virginity wouldn’t define my character,

Only if I were a boy;

I would get paid equally,

Only if I were a boy;

The length of my skirt wouldn’t define my morality,

Only if I were a boy;

“Wear something longer, there are men around” wouldn’t be heard every hour,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to bear a child for 9 months or endure the pain of childbirth but my name would be included with its,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be called out for being opinionated,

Only if I were a boy;

I could roam around freely at any hour without being judged,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have excruciating cramps every month,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be shamed on wanting to smoke,

Only if I were a boy;

Dressing up wouldn’t mean that I was asking for it,

Only if I were a boy;

My insecurities wouldn’t be exploited and turned into businesses,

Only if I were a boy;

It’d be okay for me to have sexual desires,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to make a stranger’s home my own,

Only if I were a boy;

compromise in every situation wouldn’t be taught to me,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be expected to fall into the notion of “stupid and pretty”,

Only If I were a boy;

I could wear whatever I want and still not be a topic over tea,

Only if I were a boy;

How do you manage wouldn’t be a question tag on any of my achievements,

Only if I were a boy;

Fighting like me wouldn’t be an insult,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t picture myself as the next Asifa or the next Zainab,

Only if I were a boy;

my sole duty wouldn’t be considered to be bearing a child,

Only if I were a boy;

after watching movies I would picture myself as the hero that saved the day, not the helpless who needed saving,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have acid thrown on my face,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t have to go an extra mile to be taken seriously,

Only if I were a boy;

I wouldn’t be threatened by the glances of every other passerby,

Only if I were a boy;

I would have more than a line in history books,

Only if I were a boy;

While living in this modern society I wouldn’t have to fight for my rights,

Would life really be this intoxicating if I were a boy?

Sometimes I think to myself,

What if I were a boy?