No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan and architect of a nation’s destiny, once proclaimed with prophetic force: “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.” In these words lies both a command and a revelation—that a people cannot ascend while half its strength lies shackled. To keep women behind veils of silence is to cripple the march of progress, but to let them stand beside men is to unleash the full measure of a nation’s power.

The origin of this declaration arose in the crucible of Pakistan’s birth. Jinnah, who carried the burden of leading millions through the storm of partition, knew that survival would require more than soldiers and politicians. It would require teachers, healers, builders, and leaders drawn from both men and women alike. His vision was not of women confined, but of women risen, carrying the banner of progress alongside their brothers.

History confirms his wisdom. In the days of early Islam, women like Khadijah, the Prophet’s wife, and Aisha, the scholar, were not hidden figures but central pillars of faith and leadership. Khadijah’s wealth and wisdom sustained Muhammad’s mission in its most fragile hour, while Aisha’s knowledge became a light for generations. Their example stands as eternal proof that no civilization achieves greatness by silencing half its people.

So too in modern times, we see this truth in the story of Fatima Jinnah, sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who stood as his closest ally and later as a leader in her own right. Known as “Mother of the Nation,” she championed education and political participation for women, embodying the very principle her brother proclaimed. Her life reminds us that the words Jinnah spoke were not empty rhetoric, but a blueprint for the nation’s survival and flourishing.

Therefore, O children of tomorrow, engrave this wisdom upon your hearts: the march of a nation is not carried by men alone, but by the union of man and woman, shoulder to shoulder. A people who confine their daughters confine their destiny; a people who free them open the gates of glory. For no nation can rise while half its sky is kept from shining.