Daily Times

The views perpetuated by an irresponsible media, particularly cinematic narratives, is in part responsible for the creation of stereotypes for women. In film after film, television soaps and dramas continue to ply the image of a westernised woman as the pariah while juxtaposing the image of the traditional ‘good’ woman as a sati savitri or, in our case, a naik Parveen.
Huge audiences at home and now across the border view programmes that ignore hard won successes for women in politics, governance and policymaking but it is in the area of family laws in particular that the medias role is the most objectionable. Since the content in the case of television programmes is completely Pakistani, the onus for inaccurate representation can only be placed at the doorstep of our own media and production houses. Consider, for example, the fact that the Family Laws Ordinance 1961 clearly states in Section 7 (1) that: “Any man who wishes to divorce his wife shall, as soon as may be after the pronouncement of talaaq (divorce) in any form whatsoever, give the chairman (local council) a notice in writing of his having done so, and shall supply a copy thereof to the wife.”
Further sub-sections clearly state that the talaaq may not be effective until an arbitration has been conducted while a 90-day period is clearly stipulated as the time line for finalisation of such a pronouncement. The Ordinance also covers periods of pregnancy and terminates the union only after the pregnancy ends.
Though Pakistan has a complex history of a one-step forward two-steps back syndrome perpetuating the practice of empowering men while wresting rightful power from women, yet some landmark developments have taken place and for the media to ignore the legitimate struggle for women’s rights in the country while flouting the few women-friendly laws in practice in a throwback to pre-Ordinance times, which allowed for a simple three-time pronouncement ending a marriage, is highly irresponsible.
It is the prime moral responsibility of the media to inform, educate and disseminate the truth. It is, therefore, all the more reprehensible to sidetrack and ignore the few benchmarks that women’s rights activists have wrested from largely insensitive, unresponsive civilian and military governments. The media must, therefore, highlight any progress made in the contentious equation of empowered men versus vulnerable women rather than mislead, misinform and to pipe a stereotypical tune that is music to the ears of the misogynist, patriarchal socio-cultural constructs that we are saddled with.
It is a fact that the majority of people working with the media in varying capacities as producers, financiers, directors, script writers et al are men and that the number of women in decision making roles in the media run to a mere handful. But it is nothing short of a tragedy that anti-women, misogynist programming should continue to be the norm. These experiments in ‘public’ space require a strong gendered response that exposes the lack of credibility in present dramatic narratives on Pakistan television through the agency of print media, debate and discussion on channels strengthened through strong self-censorship mechanisms.
The same argument holds true for Indian cinema where, in recent years, female presence has largely been relegated to a mindless construct of ‘item’ girls, arm candy and a mere love interest rolled into one. Much concern has also been expressed over what is seen as an increasingly popular trend towards the portrayal of brutality against women in the media. The view that the battering and sexual harassment of women in real life has been encouraged by the portrayal of women as victims of sexual assault and other violent acts on screen and in the media is an area that requires systematic research.
To cite yet another inappropriate example, in a recent movie called Mardani, which ostensibly concerned itself with empowering women, the clear message given was that success for a female police officer was possible only if she became a ‘male’ clone, i.e. shed her femininity to act, dress and abuse like a man. Such cinematic constructs are not only misleading but smack of an even more subversive attempt at denigrating the self-esteem of and perception about an extremely vulnerable group.
There are even more dangerous fallouts emanating from a viewing of such works. Research findings add conclusively to mounting evidence that finds exposure to screen violence may lower sensitivity to violence in other contexts. In the light of recent incidents of rape and violence against women both in India and Pakistan, we must ask ourselves why censors allow the perpetuation of screen violence, which is fast reaching an unacceptable level. Cinema in our countries is a family activity and despite age restrictions may be viewed in alternate forms such as easily available DVDs.
As someone who has taught young adults at the university level for almost five decades, I am acutely aware of the fact that the written word is being displaced by the moving image, the book by the internet, but whatever else may, the efficient and precise use of language will never lose its importance either in education or in the real world. After all, it is the idea that metamorphoses into communication and eventually action as it is released into the public space. If the idea itself stems from a faulty knowledge base, it assists in creating ‘truths’ that are false. It is, therefore, essential that language and knowledge join together to create an intellectual platform for the active pursuit of issues debating women’s development and finding solutions. Research and education would therefore be the twin tools to employ.

(To be concluded)

The writer is academic advisor Lahore Grammar School and can be reached at navidshahzad@hotmail.com