ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: Women journalists in Pakistan have more to handle than just deadline pressure - not only do they face stiff odds, but they are also discriminated against - in a profession which was till recently believed to be a male dominated one.In fact, the number of women working in the media is so less that sometimes their presence is not even felt, according to a woman journalist writing for the daily The News. But can the media be blamed for the sorry plight of women journalists? No, says Nabila Aslam, who works for an Islamabad newspaper. ``What else can you expect when the society itself fails to recognise the fact that a woman can play a major role in any field or profession?'' she asks.
Tasneem Ahmar, head of a Non-Governmental Organisation `Aks' (Reflection), has pinpointed two areas where women generally face problems: One relates to women working in any profession and the second relates to the manner in which the media perceives a woman. She said, ``Sometimes, even women are compelled to
write stories that present their ilk in stereotypes, as helpless creatures, faithful wives or duty-conscious mothers.''
However, nearly all Pakistani newspapers have some women working on the news-desk. Not many Pakistani youth, especially men, have been attracted to this field. But even here women are treated as anything but equals, if one goes by what women journalists have to say.
A woman sub-editor of a national daily lamented that women sub-editors rarely got to edit major stories relating to political and economic issues.
``They are generally told to write stories relating to cultural and social issues, which are carried in the inside pages of the newspapers. Only some women journalists report on politics,'' she added.
According to another women journalist, male counterparts regularly harassed them. ``If we write a good story, male colleagues resent it. They resort to some unfair means then,'' she says. The situation is not any better in the case of magazines also, excepting two - Newsline and
Herald. These two magazines, the best political journals in Pakistan, are mostly edited and brought out by women. These have even won international awards for their work.
Late Razia Bhatti, former editor of The Newsline, was among the best editors in the country. Even the present editors of The Herald and The Newsline, Sheri Rahman and Rehana Hakim respectively, have been lauded for their work.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
