Having an opinion is not a crime but somehow, Ushna Shah becomes subject to social media trials after she voices hers. Known for being outspoken and an opinionated individual, Ushna Shah once again took Instagram by storm and spoke openly about two topics – colourism and PCOS – with messages for Pakistanis. And this time, most netizens are happy.
The past few days have been all about creating awareness on colourism and how various celebrities have come forward to speak about embracing their skin; be it dark or light, clear or scarred. Ushna jumped onto the bandwagon earlier today with a small message for the people of our country. She reposted a picture of a famous Sudanese-American YouTuber, Nyma Tang, calling it an appreciation post, which was followed by another re-post of the said YouTuber with a message that read, “Dear (the majority) of Pakistanis. Please get out of your enslaved colonial mind-sets because you are missing out on some serious beauty. I mean. Just wow!”
About 7 hours after Ushna requested Pakistanis to be more accepting of different skin colours and quit their gora-complex, the actress built awareness on another essential topic that most Pakistanis, both men, and women, need to be more vocal about – PCOS.
Her stories started with reposted images from a PCOS lifestyle dietician’s account on what all may have an affect on the condition along with different reasons for fatigue with PCOS. She then created her own story in three parts. First, she noted that there are several types of PCOS and second, she noted that knowing your type of PCOS can help recognize symptoms.
This, however, was not the first time Ushna spoke about PCOS. She clarified in her third and final story as to why she often speaks on the topic and also revealed that she has struggled with PCOS, that too with poor guidance on the subject. She wrote, “Dear men, the reason I often share PCOS related posts is because I myself went through my teens and most of my 20’s facing many challenges due to PCOS without proper guidance. I still have challenging days.”
She added that PCOS is an ailment that is commonly misunderstood and for which modern medicine has not evolved in decades and that she would like to help other women through her platform. “ 1 in 10 women have some type of PCOS and I want to use my platform to help as many as I can”
Ushna is definitely not one to shy away from speaking her mind on what she feels passionate about. Just recently, she spoke about normalising discussions on menstruation, in the bluntest of ways – the Ushna way. Shah leaves no chance to voice her opinion about topics the normal Pakistani would usually refrain from addressing. At times she is criticised for being such an opinionated person but we feel it takes a sense of responsibility to feel the need to be so vocal and are glad to see the actress use her platform as a vessel of change.
