The Women Who Keep Ramzan Running
Ramzan doesn’t run on dates and duas alone. It runs on women. On the women who wake before the alarm, and the women who wake because someone else’s alarm went off. On the hands that knead dough, refill water bottles, fold prayer mats, pack school bags, and somehow still remember who prefers less sugar in their chai.
And if we’re being honest it’s not just one kind of woman. It’s many.
The Visible and the Unseen
There’s the mother of the house, holding the entire sehri-to-iftar schedule in her head like a mental spreadsheet no one ever asked for. There’s the working woman, switching from office mode to iftar prep without a pause emails closed, sleeves rolled up, fasting uninterrupted. And then there are the women we don’t talk about enough. The househelp who arrives fasting, already tired, already working. The nanny who keeps little ones calm so the house can breathe for a moment.
The woman who cleans the kitchen after iftar, while everyone else leans back, full and quiet. Different lives. Different struggles. Same Ramzan. This isn’t charity talk. This is acknowledgment.
Ramzan Isn’t Light And That’s Okay
Somewhere along the way, we romanticised Ramzan into fairy lights and perfectly plated iftars. But the truth is, Ramzan is heavy physically, emotionally, mentally. And that doesn’t make it less sacred. It makes it real. Women carry that weight quietly:
- Making sure everyone eats before they do
- Remembering everyone’s routines
- Showing up even when their own energy is low
Not because they have to. But because they always have.
Care Is Also Ibadat
Here’s the part we need to say out loud: Taking care of yourself during Ramzan is not selfish. It’s not indulgent. It’s not “extra.” It’s sustainability. A few minutes of quiet skincare after Taraweeh. Oiling tired hair before bed. Moisturising hands that cooked, cleaned, soothed, and served all day.
This isn’t vanity. It’s gratitude for the body that carried you through the fast. And that care applies to every woman in the house, not just the one whose name is on the grocery list.
What Ramzan Teaches Us (If We Let It)
Ramzan teaches patience. It teaches humility. And if we’re paying attention, it teaches us to see each other. To thank the woman who cooked. To notice the woman who cleaned. To respect the woman who worked. To check in on the woman who helps us make it all happen. Not just with words. But with kindness, fairness, and dignity.
A Quiet Reminder
If Ramzan is running smoothly in your home, it’s not by accident. It’s because all kinds of women are holding it together. This month, let’s do more than fast. Let’s pnotice. Let’s appreciate it. Let’s soften the load where we can. Because when women are cared for, Ramzan feels lighter for everyone.
