“One is not born, but rather becomes a woman” , says Simone De Beauvoir (The Second Sex).
This may be seen in the context of how femininity is defined, classified, and demonstrated in Pakistan’s evolving gender politics. The evolution is not a product of personal desire but is a social construction, which time has proved to be stifling. There are many contributory factors to the constricted existence of the female gender, but none more impactful than the role played by the media.
While going through my Facebook feed one day I came across a collection of pictures predating the 1980’s. Pictures that show women on the Karachi beach in bathing suits; images of PIA air labelled as the “Best Airline in the World” etc.
PIA Air Hostess uniform created by well-known Pakistani dress designer Mrs. Nahid Azfar
Amongst these pictures was a cigarette advertisement showing women sitting at a country club smoking and socializing. So mesmerizing was the collection that it forced me to question the authenticity of the pictures in it. After a little research and talking to a few people who remember those years I found them to be authentic, which just added to the endless storm of questions in my mind of “What happened?”
How did we go from an all-inclusive, tolerant society to a Patriarchy?
The rabbit hole I immersed myself into led me to the beginning of the wave that swept most of the country for decades to come: the 1980’s.
While the rest of the world was engaged with Madonna and Michael Jackson’s music and celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall, Pakistan’s embryonic society found its voice in reactionary factions in the Bhutto-Zia era.
The country was swept by this idea that masculinity is a supreme cultural transaction. Patriarchy became the accepted norm, perpetually downgrading the female experience by giving it fewer avenues of expression. As a start, the representation of women in TV and print media during the 1980s showed a sharp decline from the decade preceding it. The 1980s female newscaster was grim in her tone and expression. Her covered head communicated in a language not her own. Each aspect of what we understand as feminine, muted.
Celebrated author, Arundhati Roy comments, “there is really no such thing as the voiceless, there are only those who are deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard” . The politicization of media played a monumental role in the standards that dictate what is acceptable from a female today. After all, “Ye shall reap what ye shall sow” . However, even though late, there is a dim beacon of light that has emerged in Pakistani films today. Having recently returned to Pakistan, and with lots of time on my hands, I watched a few of the ambitious endeavours made by the local film industry. The fact that I was pleasantly surprised is a weak description of what I felt. The interpretation of each socio-cultural norm done with extreme sensitivity and finesse. Also, most movies had female protagonists, which was a welcome change from the patriarchal ethics shown in 70s TV serials such as Waris (Heir).
Another detail I noticed was the effort these films made to show possible non-conformity of females in our society. The exploration and determination in showing multi-dimensional female characters in all genres is a considerable shift the industry has experienced.
Media has a key role to play in producing industrious and dynamic civic society members from the female population.
It faces the task of challenging the status quo and stereotypes it has so far established. Media needs to create the space for a vigorous argument. The initiative that the film industry has taken today to create said space is not an easy task. However, as a progressive Pakistani girl, I hope that such ideas can spread through the power of media. Hoping that the next collection of pictures I come across evoke a feeling of pride instead of nostalgia and bewilderment.