UN Women Pakistan's Anti-Dowry Campaign Divides Twitter

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women Pakistan has lent its support to celebrated designer Ali Xeeshan's fashion campaign against dowry - but the collaboration has divided opinion on social media. According to news website Daily Pakistan, Mr Xeeshan's latest collection 'Numaish' highlights the bitter reality of the age-old practice of dowry while urging people to take a pledge against it. The collection was showcased at the 'Pantene HUM Bridal Couture Week 2021' and developed in collaboration with UN Women Pakistan.

"UN Women Pakistan supports NUMAISH - a pledge against dowry by @ALIXEESHAN," the organisation tweeted, sharing striking photos that aim to highlight the burden of dowry. 

While several people applauded the collaboration and the social message behind it, some criticised the fashion designer saying that his campaign against dowry while selling expensive clothes represented nothing but hypocrisy on his part. 

Some felt that anyone involved in the opulent wedding business of Pakistan had no right to criticise the culture of dowry. Many also pointed out that just like dowry, the burden of buying expensive wedding clothes also fell on the bride's family and blamed the fashion designer for being complicit in regressive practices.

However, many on Twitter applauded the campaign, saying that it used outstanding visuals to impart an important message.

According to Mr Xeeshan, Numaish aims to shed light on the "epochal and alarming issue of families fretting over saving money for their daughters' dowry (Jahez) instead of their education."