Panelists speak at the launch of 'Through the Gender lens' on Monday, December 10, 2010 in Islamabad. -Photo by Dawn.com/Zeresh John

With honour killings and acid attacks making frequent headlines, it is alarming that little or nothing has been done to effectively address gender based violence (GBV) as a crime in Pakistan. In fact, gender is more than often even considered a non-issue.

(Images from the launch of Through the Gender lens)

Where it is true that the media in Pakistan reflects the gender bias in our strictly patriarchal society, the enormous influence the media has on forming social change is also indisputable. However it seems increasingly futile to rely on the media to bring about any change in the regard as long as Pakistan’s leading newspapers are still carrying by-lines such as “lady” reporter.   Initiatives that have addressed gender issues appear to merely be attempts at maintaining the media’s credibility for being socially responsible. And the tragedy remains that the media, just as culture and religion, is also helping perpetuate the crime.

With the ratio of one in 20 female reporters in Pakistan, a fair and balanced gender representation in the media is nonexistent.  The bigger misfortune is the lack of gender sensitive material that is currently being produced by the news media.

The portrayal of women in roles that are neither positive nor realistic, some are victims and others are objects of sexual pleasure; and the far and few in between news stories about gender violence being more judgmental than factual, the impact of the media on the Pakistani youth can lead to devastating realities for the country’s future.

Amid these disparaging conditions, the launch of ‘Through the Gender lens’ came as a much needed breath of fresh air. A courageous initiative by Uks in collaboration with UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) that focuses on empowering the Pakistani youth to design new media content on gender-based violence to counter the negative impact of existing media content.

Uks has been dedicated to the cause of gender equality and women’s development since early March 2007. The rights-based group seeks to raise awareness focusing on the women-media relationship, with this project in particular aiming to allow the youth to actively contribute to the local and mainstream media, with the spotlight on gender stereotyping in the media through themes such as women’s right and gender equality.

‘Through the Gender lens’ – a yearlong project – brought together a diversified group of Pakistani students within the age demographics of 15-25, with an equal representation from all provinces. Students were taught the correct terminology to use when discussing GBV, the importance of talking to a wide range of sources, limiting imputations of blame and understanding how the media plays an important role in GBV. These student members were then divided into respective print, radio and television mediums, after which the trained youth further held interactive peer training programmes in Punjab, Sindh, AJK, Balochistan and Khyber Paktunkhwa in what they referred to as the ‘Domino Effect’ – hence, kick-starting the concept of gender, discrimination and violence to vast groups of young individuals who were previously not aware of the cause-effect of GBV.   With commendable work from Uks on media monitoring and extensive research on emerging media trends, the students were broadly equipped with tools to deal with the challenges that came with talking about taboo subjects like rape, sexual exploitation, dowry killings and bride burning.

The students present at the launch, fervent to speak about their interactive experiences with the community, were breathing testimonials of the changed mind-sets – a direct result of these training workshops conducted across Pakistan.   A frequent reference to the students as “agents of change” could not have been more fitting. The honest and steadfast dedication to the project that each group member exuded clearly showcased the passion behind their purpose of taking this initiative further, deeming an inspiration to all media professionals present there.   A student member from South Waziristan, Bashir Ahmed recalled how elevating it was to see the gradual ground level change in a group of people who initially appeared rigid and steadfast in their gender views. He admitted it was then that he realised the importance of raising awareness on GBV and its massive effect in the tribal areas of Pakistan.   The panel of speakers at the launch included MNA Sherry Rehman, writer and columnist I. A. Rehman, Uks Director Tasneem Ahmar, senior correspondent from The News Amir Mateen and Bureau Chief of Geo TV Rana Jawwad.   Each eloquently shared their views on the need to analyse and develop gender sensitive material.   Sherry Rehman applauded the involvement of the youth in the project, with reference to Pakistan currently having the largest cohort of young people in its history. She emphasised on this project not being a desk project but a grass root one, encouraging students to not take GBV as just an object of their study. She said that the media was a game changer and that the print media had still fought the war for women for years to help the society in shifting a major discourse and now it was the time for the electronic media to do the same.   I. A. Rehman pointed out that gender imbalance had been a persistent issue over the years but had gotten worse after the Zia-ul-Haq regime. He said it was a part of our psyche to be violent towards women and that most men were not even aware that they had the tendency. He further reiterated that gender balance needed to start with the media by giving women reporters their due.   Tasneem Ahmar effectively concluded that the launch showcases the passion of the youth to present their hard work for countering the negative impact of current media content on GBV.   The research, time and effort put behind ‘Through the Gender lens’ is an apparent indication that the project has successfully become a founding stone for calling attention to the need for a gender just society – one of many of Pakistan’s pressing needs of the hour.

As Sherry Rehman aptly put it: “Gender based violence, like politics and charity, begins at home.” And if Pakistan’s social shaping does indeed begin from the television sets in our homes, then the media needs to quickly realise the national cost of desensitised content.