ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: While signing in to watch the documentary movie "Missrepresentation", at Kuch Khass, one sees a woman visibly perturbed by a question put to her by the receptionist.

One doesn’t hear the question but one fathoms it has to do with gender because this is the reply she gives to the receptionist: "I have come on my own. I have my own identity." Then the woman goes and sits separately in a corner.

After signing of names, one walks inside the lounge - where the film is to be screened; one meets Shahid Kamal, who works for USAID.

Mr Shahid informs that besides other things, he used to once upon a time write book reviews for a newspaper but stopped writing after his last review was not printed.

When asked what his last book review was about?

He replies that it had to do with a book that offered an alternative theory on Jinns.

And then he goes on to elaborate the different varieties of Jinns out there. As the discussion on Jinns is going on, the actual event commences.

A presentation on how women are portrayed in the Pakistani media is given. There is something other worldly – Jinn-like about the presentation: horrific images of women abused in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The gentleman giving the presentation works for the UN gender programme, besides cases of abuse, he also comprehensively covers other facets of the media: Punjabi movies, popular dramas and advertisement.

The concluding remarks are on politics stating that when Waheeda Shah - who was a contender for a provincial Assembly seat - slapped a woman, it was national news but if a man had slapped Waheeda Shah, nobody would have cared.

Speaking after the presentation was PTV anchorperson, Mooed Pirzada, who gave a brief background of the documentary.

It is an American documentary which has been watched by people all over the world. After it got picked up by Oprah Winfrey and was showed on her network, it became a worldwide hit. Millions of people watched it; there was even a special screening for the British parliament. The theme of the documentary is the portrayal of women in the American media.

The documentary starts off with images of women in Hollywood, television, politics and the social media. The emphasis being that no matter what women do at an intellectual level, they end up being judged for the way they look and how appealing they are to men.

According to one audience member, the documentary is a must watch for parents because it goes in detail on how young people get affected by the way images of women are shown in the media.

One social activist interviewed in the documentary tries to rationalise the situation by stating: "One needs to understand the political economy of the media" only then one can understand what is really going on.

The political economy of the media in the US is no different to Pakistan – it all has to do with advertising and ratings. Unless there is no reform at that level, in the name of 'public demand' media will continue to portray stereotypical images.

There is a central character in the documentary, who works in the entertainment industry. She complains about the stereotyping, stating that market demand remains stereotypical.

It’s the McDonald Big Mac concept, no matter where in the world one goes, one expects the Big Mac to taste the same.

Translate the Big Mac concept to Pakistani media: switch on the television channel and one watches a particular talk show because it offers a set formula.

Open the newspaper, one reads a particular columnist expecting more or less the same thing. Stereotyping is bad but unfortunately this is how the human mind is tuned. It finds comfort in repetition.

During the screening, the woman who in the beginning had told the receptionist that "she has her own identity," walks up and says "Hi" to Salman, the gentleman who has an alternative theory on Jinns.

Without asking, Salman informs: "She is Moeed Pirzada's wife." To which a guest comments: "At least someone in the Pakistani media is breaking the stereotype."