Daily Times

Sir: In the past, we used to watch some Pakistani dramas whose stories were based on the portrayal of women as feeble and weak creatures. There were some dramas that showed that women were supposed to bear all the pain and violence. But with the passage of time, the same dramas have turned their focus on stories that are based on women’s empowerment. In every society, the media shapes public opinion.

If dramas show women as weak and suppressed, then many women would believe in it and they will prepare themselves to bear violence in real life as people get more influenced through television and its visual content. We want to change the way women are depicted in the media. If dramas focus on the empowerment of women, then it would make a positive impact on women in society as they will get motivated to fight for their rights.

There is nothing wrong in protecting oneself and speaking up for one’s rights. In this modern age, where women and men are considered the two wheels of a cart and if one wheel gets imbalanced the cart will not move, keeping this phrase in mind, Pakistani writers need to work towards strengthening the character of women as individuals. In the past, women were not supposed to go outside their homes to get education and then work in their respective fields but the times have changed.

Now, women are getting education and in fact they are performing better in every field. They are carving out their names in every profession. There are some very strong female characters in our Pakistani dramas and films that some girls idealise and consider as role models.

In my opinion, the Pakistan showbiz industry needs to work harder to present a positive image of women in society so that girls could get some knowledge about how they can survive in this society or how they can fight for their rights. The feminist writers of Pakistan must come up with an idea that can convey a positive and strong image of the Pakistani women to the rest of the world.

SHAFAQ KHALID RANA

Lahore