Misogyny on television -by Meera Ghani


LAHORE: It was with immense disappointment that I viewed the March 20 episode of “Hasb-e-Haal”.

The misogynistic views expressed by Mr Sohail Ahmed in his role as, Azizi, reinforce the stereotypical role of women and strengthen the legitimacy of those who believe a women’s place is within the confines of her home.

Mr Ahmed, in character, used anecdotes to explain why it is best for a woman to accept her parents’ wishes and marry early. This, he claimed, was so that she would not be a burden on her parents. Neither of the hosts challenged his arguments with any rebuttal. Disapprovingly, to add weight to his argument, Azizi continued by quoting the Holy Prophet (pbuh), saying that it is better for women to marry at a young age. At this point, both hosts nodded in agreement, without questioning the context in which that quote would be relevant.

If one must make reference to religious figures, Islam in its inception included women who were traders and fought in battle, including, the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) first wife.

Women in Pakistan face numerous challenges both in the home and in wider society. Many women have to accept workplace discrimination, family pressure and sexual harassment to attain financial independence and support their family.

A programme such as this one which claims to be one of the most watched TV programmes in Pakistan and aims to “raise the voice of sanity over the apparent apathy in society” is, in fact, doing a disservice to the many viewers that tune into the show.

The views expressed were hardly the voice of sanity. Rather, they may actually perpetuate the insanity of our society that treats women as inferior citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2011.

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