“Don’t refer to me as larki:” Sherry Rehman says women should be addressed with proper titles, surnames

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman questioned the double standard in addressing men and women in formal settings.

She highlighted the disparity between using a man's full name with an honorific like "Sahib" and casually referring to women by their first names.

Taking to X, Sherry Rehman shared her experiences and emphasised the importance of equal treatment for both genders in formal situations.

The politician argued that women deserve the same level of respect accorded to men, including proper titles and surnames.

“Dear colleagues at work, others in the public domain in meetings, debates and tv shows: please use the same standard for addressing women as men in formal work settings. Example, do not refer to us by first names if you are referring to all other colleagues (male) in the room by their full name along with an honorific like sahib.”

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Dear colleagues at work, others in the public domain in meetings, debates and tv shows : please use the same standard for addressing women as men in formal work settings. Example, do not refer to us by first names if you are referring to all other colleagues (male) in the room by…

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) June 6, 2024

“Don’t refer to me as larki:” Sherry Rehman says women should be addressed with proper titles, surnames

The PPP leader further asserted, "I am sorry but I cannot allow myself to be called only “Sherry” if the colleagues next to me are called so and so sahibs along with their full names as a mark of respect."

She clarified that she has no objection to being addressed informally as "Sherry" if the same informality extends to her male colleagues.

Rehman emphasised that women deserve to be addressed with the same level of respect as their male counterparts, without resorting to unnecessary displays of affection that create a difference.

"Feel free to call me khala or aunt if that makes u comfortable. But please don’t refer to me as larki, even if you are older or intend it affectionately. No, I am 63 years old with a long career in public life. That’s long enough to have earned my place with respect at any table," she concluded.