Women in Pakistan Media
Friday, April 12, 2013
Hyba Nawaz, Kinnaird College for Women Lahore
The importance of media is vital in the 21st century as media is playing the role of
gatekeeper and watchdog. It is an age of globalization and media which influences thoughts,
lives, emotions and actions. Males and females are waving together not only in media
institutions in modern age but they are also participating in every walk of life including the police, army, business, law, medical, engineering, aeronautics, teaching, nursing etc. Women are a part of every field in developed societies, while their participation is limited in different spheres in the conservative societies, where they have to face problems and criticism. Pakistan is also among the underdeveloped nations having multifaceted cultural, religious and traditional taboos that restrict women in participating in some of the sectors purely meant for their male counterparts and journalism is also such a field in which women have to confront numerous hurdles and difficulties.
A number of girls in Pakistan are students of journalism, but they hesitate to join the media field upon the completion of education. The fact that women are missing from top positions in Pakistani media has a very negative impact and it keeps women out of media houses at any level. The world of media is male-dominated in Pakistan, discouraging women from joining and staying in media houses. Sexual harassment and unfair pay is another matter of grave concern for women in Pakistani media.
There is a certain mindset in our society regarding women who work in media
organizations. Several families have the perception that women are not respected in media and, as a result, they do not allow their female family members to join the profession. A vicious cycle has been created where a change to the portrayal of women in media is required to change opinions about women in Pakistan. To achieve this, women need better training and skills to compete with men in mainstream media. The current study would examine the status of women in Pakistani media, their skills and expertise in the field of media and suggest ways and means for resolving their problems besides pointing out future prospects for this vital segment of the society. In this regard, suggestions would be put for consideration of the organizations and institutions working with or on women rights and development.
Although with the emergence of electronic media, the new millennium has opened the
door for greater freedom of expression for media, providing increased opportunities for women
in the industry. Threats and other obstacles remain but, despite the struggling path, Pakistani women journalists are moving forward with determination.
Labels: IJC 2013
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:42 AM,
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