COMMENT | When I was a little girl, my parents told me I could be anything I wanted to be. I was raised to indulge in rough activities such as tree climbing, cycling in the mud, sneaking into the jungle, and catching fish in the stream.

My gender as a girl did not matter as I was seen only as a child hungry for adventure.

When I started schooling, things began to change. As a female student, I was placed inside a pink box labelled ‘girls.’ I had to wear a pinafore, sit with my legs closed, join the netball team, and embrace my femininity.

Soon, I was placed into another box – this time according to my intelligence. While my brother who was a year older got into Kelas Biru which was meant for the smart kids, the not-so-bright me got into Kelas Merah.

Due to my religion, I then was placed into a new box labelled ‘Muslim.’

During my Agama classes, my Ustazah would tell me I should not mix with...