“I have Dreams of My Own”: Revolting Against Patriarchy in Kazakhstan · Global Voices
Mahina Shodizoda

A Kazakhstani blogger writes [ru] about her transformation from a “wife and mother”, the role that the patriarchal society reserves for women, to a “free woman”. She calls the process a “revolution in my head”:
And then I realized it… I have dreams of my own, the dreams that have little to do with my family or my husband. I have a right to have these dreams! I want to find myself in a profession; I want my brain, education certificates, and skills to be used for the benefit of society. I want to be independent financially. I want my husband and my son to be proud of me – not only because I [cook well] and take care of the house. [I want them to be proud of] me as a professional, citizen, a woman who has achieved much while remaining a loving mother and wife. I want my interests to go beyond the children's playground, illnesses, kitchen, and a wardrobe. I want to be myself!
She also lists several recommendations for girls and women that wish to break away from the social norms and conventions of the patriarchal society.