In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was never easy for a girl to tell her family that she had been harassed. “A girl is her reputation”, a phrase that summed everything up. The matter was buried, the girl punished with isolation and restriction, expected to obey or face consequences. In my case, I faced the punishment.

Doublethink leads to what is known as cognitive dissonance, a theory proposed by psychologist and sociologist Leon Festinger. It describes a state of psychological tension that arises when behavior contradicts belief. The mind tries to resolve this tension by justifying the behavior or modifying the belief.

The Sa‘idi girl is not seeking a rupture with her traditions, nor surrender to restrictions that erase her presence. She seeks a middle space, broad enough for her voice and image without threatening her identity. That space is not yet fully formed, but it remains the clearest challenge facing an entire generation of Sa‘idi women in the age of social media.

It is no longer a secret that the slogans of justice and humanity have turned into a tragic joke. What was once a right people raised their voices to defend has become a heavy-handed jest no one wishes to hear, not because the words are flawed, but because of those who proclaim them.