“You have neglected the duty you owe to yourselves and you have lost your natural rights by shutting your eyes to your own interests.”

In the short story entitled “Sultana’s Dream,” the author highlights the issue that women aren’t fighting enough for their own rights. I drew this picture to exemplify the fact that too many women are coming across as hopeless and weak, and giving into their present state. If we want to be taken seriously, then many people believe we must act seriously. And this is exactly the type of situation that the author addresses in Sultana’s Dream; a kind of turned around feminist-empowered future world.

Of course, we must look at the other side of things, and recognize the fact that so many women suffering from oppression are up against so many things: societal traditions, cultural beliefs, social and religious norms, etc. A lot of these things go against the very idea of female empowerment… especially in highly patriarchal societies.

That is why I also wanted to include a sense of beauty in this picture, as well as vulnerability. Although women may feel defeated by the obstacles that they face, that doesn’t mean they are not beautiful, that they don’t have the potential and the right for equality and respect.