The Lux Style Awards (LSA) is the biggest awards ceremony in Pakistan, and is no stranger to controversy. Figures from the country’s entertainment industry have routinely made statements criticising the ceremony for one reason or the other. In most cases these have been related to issues within the industry itself, such as allegations of nepotism. This year however, the LSA finds itself embroiled in a spat related to a topic that concerns us all, sexual harassment.
On March 30, when the LSA published a list of nominations for this year’s awards, a model withdrew her name from the list when she found the name of an accused harasser was also on the roll. This led to several more nominees — and even a popular label — following suit. Others criticised the move, terming it disrespectful to an event that had given people in a struggling field a much-needed platform. Some pointed out that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, hence there was no need to remove the alleged harassers name for the list of nominees.
Though the last point has merit, the fact that numerous entities in Pakistani society have given room to harassers to operate freely cannot be ignored either. The women of this country have to constantly avoid unwanted attention everywhere; whether on the streets, educational institutions or workplaces. As such, it is certainly heartening to note that a significant group of Pakistani celebrities — especially those from a younger age bracket — have taken a stance on the issue.
In the long run, what is important is that sexual harassment remains a topic that continues to occupy headlines so that the problem can be further debated by Pakistani citizens. This became amply clear when the social media storm that followed the recent Aurat March on International Women’s Day exposed just how little many Pakistanis understand the issue. *