Lady Reporter

Happy new year to Chowk readers, writers, inter-actors, and staff. May you see many more.

Mohammad Gill

Excellent piece.

Blessed be God King of the Universe that Thou has not made me a woman ..... Amen !

Miss Sarwar,
Your article is thought provoking, eloquent and cohesive. Why do you think women journalists are seen less often in Urdu or Sindhi news publications? Is it because the women journalists writing in English have been educated in schools for the upper middle class and the elite where English serves as the primary and preferred medium of expression? Is English associated not just with power but also with liberalism. Is a woman graduating from Kinnaird College more apt to write in English compared to one who graduated from Islamia College for Women Cooper Road. What roles do you think social class and educational background play in the development of female journalists? I would truly appreciate your input on this matter.
May this coming year bring you peace, much joy and ever increasing wisdom.

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

``Is one to be defined by one’s gender, or by professional merit? How much does one inform the other? How much of the experience is shaped by educational background, ‘class’, connections and access?``

I think you have pretty much summed up the key factors. I too would tend to think that educational background, `class`, connections and access, are the vital ingredients towards an individual`s success, be it a woman or a man. These give both women and men the right `tools` to make it or break it in any discipline. I`ve run business in Islamabad, and my best marketing teams comprised of two couples. Out of the four young marketers, the two girls performed the best, and we were able to dominate a certain segment of the market pretty quickly. When I look back, both the girls came from prestigeous institutions, belonged to upper middle class, where parents were pretty liberal, and spoke `English` well, and carried themselves with confidence and great attitudes. It boils down to the whole package. Once you have it, you can break the strongest of anti forces and make your way through...doesn`t matter whether you are a man or a woman. It takes an attitude, and that unfortunately depends upon quite a lot of founding factors.

A very good friend of mine, in the US, sells aircrafts. Her perception of male dominance in the airline industry is pretty much similar to what I read in your article about journalism in Pakistan. She is among the very few female certified sales agents in the east coast, and it is always a challenging task for her to break into the `elite` agent group. But she did it, and I can very well define her through the same founding principles of eduction, background, connection, and access. `Class` is something that can be switched with `Color` in the US. But most important of all, she`s got the right attitude and she is a `go getter`.

How long will it take for us to provide our Pakistani Women the right environment to develop the right tools to be equally successful? Probably a few generations more...since `Sakina` is still the predominant representative of our 70% rural population, who is uneducated, dependent, totally dominated, and unfortunately least represented in the economic structure of the country.

Naved

salamzz .... yeah itz a nice piece ... really this is the case with women in Pakistan ... i dont know why they are pushed back in such fields.
SAIRA

good questions by ShoreSahib -
Well I do know its hard for women to be in some fields in Pakistan and in other countries but everyone has to acknowledge one thing that its easy now its a hell lot easy then 7-8 years ago -
what we need is women comming from lower-middle class into main stream media - and I am sure this will happen in a year or so -

Beena:

An interesting article posing very valid questions.

The divide between the English and regional language press on the subject of women in the field is, however, superficial in India at least. The reason I say so is because while English newspapers do not affix ``Lady Reporter``, they can most certainly be accused of giving women journalists mostly the ‘soft stories’. We may have a stray person covering the finance sector, the crime beat, or even sports, but these are the exceptions and made to feel so. I might add here that many women reporters have constraints regarding night shifts, so they often miss out on last-minute happenings when the issue is locked.

You ask, ``Is one to be defined by one’s gender, or by professional merit?`` I would say both. For, irrespective of professional merit, one`s gender is an issue. I believe that the fact that women in South Asia are doing exceedingly well in the media has a lot to do with how they project the issues they are dealing with.

A straight report might not require skills dependent on gender, but a follow-up, a human interest story, interviews...these clearly get an added perspective when women are writing. And not merely about subjects that have to do with women. There is greater sensitivity in dealing with, say, slum demolitions, riots, child labour, prison reforms.

In my experience I have found that the common person is far more enlightened in this respect. I do believe that many of them have agreed to speak and speak out against various things because they trusted me, and I do think it is because I am a woman.

Ironically, the educated elite who talk about how great it is to see women shine in the field behave rather strangely. Invariably, during an interview session when I was the one posing the queries and counter-questioning, the subject -- a politician, a psychologist, an academic – would address their responses to the male photographer, even if all he was doing was fidgeting with his camera lens. After a couple of such episodes, I decided to ask the photographer to come later or fix another appointment.

I would also like to point out that the big mainstream newspapers in India do not have women at the helm; at best they look after the supplements or Sunday sections. Even the occasional resident editor is made answerable not to the chief Ed, but to the General Manager!

And of course you are often asked if what you are doing is a hobby…

Beena:

Thanks for this article. It would be interesting to find out how women actually make it to these positions. Do they follow the same screening process from entry level to Ed. as men do, or do they shine through by recommendations from people already in management?

In any event, the influence of women as Editor cannot be undermined, especially where power structures aspire to a patriarchal system. When calculating how ``unequal`` women are, a key determinant is `decision making` in the household. Though women have a long way to go in terms of controlling finances, be it in the household or society, the fact that there is progress in terms of ``agenda setting`` in the media, is great news.

I can`t help but quote Mernessi when she said that the `most powerful is the educated unveiled woman who can disseminate information and has access to resources, because she breaks the moslem ruler`s monopoly over information.`

-Aisha F. Sarwari

Beena,

This was a good piece. I was wondering if the arrival of television has not changed things dramatically. You have said that there are a lot of anchors and radio jockeys, but are there not enough numbers joining hardcore reporting, as in field reporting?

Since you talk about the ``visibility`` factor itself helping inch forward the cause of women reporting, television is a great field. If not for anything else, the performance of field reporters often have nationwide audiences too judging them, thus, significantly dodging male bias within the heirarchy. It is difficult to stop a good television reporter from rising, especially if she also manages to impress the audience with her skills.

Similarly, has not the Internet also helped widen the gates for women in the media?

There is a flock of women photographers in Bombay, and it is a sight watching them elbow, push and get their ``eternal moment`` with male collegues during media stampedes!

Finally, television and Internet might still help only the women with the right class, connections etc. But with growth of regional as in language channels that might rub off on them too. That is what has happened this part of the divide!

Well
There are two parts of the face which i got as analizing by your article.

One is vague and other is one offcourse luminous.
First i will talk about the brighter part.......
Well its really sounds good that women of our country are making progress
in every part of heritage.They hve changed all the situation now they are
coming forward now the situation has changed like they were neglected in
the past but now they are in in every game no matter it is hard to do or
just damn easy.So the conclusion is they have become the stronger part of
our country.

Now i will talk about the dark part and mind it.This is all which i think and
my view can be wrong.And yeah every body thinks differ so do i.
Well i don`t know where to start.But still i gotta tell you all.
Look all the girls will get marry no matter they are professional or house girl
either.And 90% of them or may be more will be the house wife so in that all session
which they served as a professional they ruined the life of many boys.
you can judge by yourself.In this all session when they applied for job to leave the
job they were their and in pakistan it has been trend that pakistani has preffered girl
over boy i don`t know why but it is happening,and the profession doesn`t matter.
And you people know parents do anticipate more from boys than girls.Because they know
one day girl will leave for marry(if i am wrong to write last sentence then i appologize).
And when the girl resign from job to marry so the next girls come to take over rather boy.
So its all happening like this.

so that was it.

But we still we see over all.Its good that women are coming forward.
But this should be in balance

And if you women are better than men in english then its really bogus to listen.
I accept women are getting better they will be able to compete men in next few years
Still they are competing in many (rata) Subject.And i really appreciate them.But can you
name any lady who compete men in computer science.No you cannot.Because there you need
a bit mind which women don`t have 1 to all.I am student of computer science.I have completed
my computer studies but still for argument i need to tell you.My class strength was of 18.
And 13 of them was girl.Its mean only five boys but still there wasn`t any girl who can beat
us in 13th in any language either it is html,java visual basi and etc etc.
And now talk about the journalism.If you talk about the field work its hard to do for women
to walk here and there and get news.And if you talk about to sit on chair with table in front
and write some story or some this kind of stuff then i think there isn`t better raplacement for her.

What I want to know is when & how Pakistan managed to reach a point where this sort of a topic has to be discussed. I mean, way back in the `40s, women from villages in Punjab went to colleges in Punjab and elsewhere fairly comfortably, while their sisters in the South (Madras Presidency, if you please) did not have it that easy.

So when author talks about opening doors for the next generation, please ask author to introspect and try to figure out what went wrong, and then move accordingly.

And from what I am told, religion was not the issue then. So let us not blame religion for everything either.

And further therefore, I got a theory:- it was the educated upper class in Pakistan post-1947 which actually motivated this trend of keeping ``them`` in purdah, keeping them backward. And now it seems to be coming full circle.

In other words, while Lady Reporter is all fine, where are the young nursery and primary school girls in Pakistan? And what is being done about them?

vereesh #13: ``In other words, while Lady Reporter is all fine, where are the young nursery and primary school girls in Pakistan? And what is being done about them?``

This is a good question. And the answer is quite simple. Not much is being done.

You can divide the status of women in Pakistan into three categories: The tiny pecentage which belong to the upper middle class and upper class families, who have it made. Barring the various social pressures, they don`t have too many problems. They are not expected to work, they have servants at home, etc. And if there husband turns out to be a decent person, they generally live quite comfortably. Everyone on Chowk (male and female) is from this crowd. This is probably 1 to 2% of all of Pakistan.....

The second group is the educated middle-class women. This female group faces all the social problems, is educated, yet not empowered enough to be completely on its own.

The third huge group is the uneducated female group. I think Pakistan was rated as the country with one of the lowest literacy rates for women. And one of the lowest living standards for women. This group works long hours in the fields, or as domestic servants in peoples` houses (whose housewives are too lazy to do their own cooking and cleaning). They are mistreated and humiliated by their feudal landowners or their domestic housewife bosses.

All of this has nothing to do with religion. In fact, if you go to the religious enclaves of the religious political parties, they tend to educate all their daughters (albeit not in co-education). Qazi Hussains daughter has a Ph.D and is an MNA. This group is primarily mistreated due to the feudal and financial social structure that exists in the country.

There is only one way in which this will be removed. And that is, if the women in group 1 take the lead, bear the brunt and get the other females out of the category 3 and 2.
The men certainly aren`t going to do it (in any country, much less Pakistan). Unfortunately, group 1 has never done anything of this sort, barring a few exceptions.

I have found a huge difference in the attitudes of Indian females and Pakistani females, from group 1 that I have met. Pakistanis and Indians are generally in the same boat on most other issues (regardles of how much our Indian colleagues try to convince us otherwise of India`s progress). However, the Indian girls of category 1 are far more ambitious, energetic, with a desire to bring change than the Pakistani girls in category 1. I have noticed this difference especially amongst the wives of my Indian and Pakistani friends in the IT industry........

Romair, thank you for your response, because the moment I say that I did not see bright-eyed ``normal`` young girls/ladies on the streets of Lahore or other small towns going about their daily chores (be it running to school early in the morning, or pedalling to college or riding to work or heading to wherever) I get assaulted by the assortment of blind patriots Pakistan seems to have who can only tell me about Food Street or PoPos/CoCos or rampant cleavages.

You have only to listen to the memories of the elderly women in India who grew up pre-Partition in what is today Pakistan to understand a few things - and that is, it was not always this way.

But post 1947, it seems as though this fascination that Pakistan had for turning away from everything Indian also included basic issues like female emancipation.

I have yet to see developmental work by and for women being covered in the Pakistani media. I assume that some of it exists.

I agree that the upper classes of Pakistan have let down the rest of the country. Payback may not be too far away, however.

Romair,

re:
``Everyone on Chowk (male and female) is from this crowd. This is probably 1 to 2% of all of Pakistan..... ``

Again, not so fast. My husband is a working class union organizer. I make less than he does teaching at a uni. And we both battle bills, work, housework, school, etc. There are interactors at Chowk in North America who fit into this category.

vereesh #16: ``Romair, thank you for your response, because the moment I say that I did not see bright-eyed ``normal`` young girls/ladies on the streets of Lahore or other small towns going about their daily chores....I get assaulted by the assortment of blind patriots Pakistan ``

You are most welcome. Just trying to tell it like it is. One point though. The situation in the big cities, like Lahore, is actually alright (I think) from the education point of view. It is in the rural areas and smaller cities where it is really really bad. The situation in the big cities is not alright from the career and empowerment point of view though.

There is a big difference between the ambition, attitude, confidence and work ethic between Indian girls (that I have come across in the USA) and Pakistani girls. Even though they seem to be from similar financial backgrounds. Indian girls are about a generation ahead. And I don`t think it has anything, or much, to do with religion.....

``Again, not so fast. My husband is a working class union organizer. I make less than he does teaching at a uni. And we both battle bills, work, housework, school, etc. There are interactors at Chowk in North America who fit into this category.``

You are still part of that group. As was I, even when I was working as a ground cleaner, upporting my family, as a student. Let me provide you with some statistics: Less than 1% of Pakistan has Internet access from their homes. Less than 5% has a college education. A similar figure has a car. Less than 2% is settled abroad. A tiny percent can read and write English. For women the figures are even much lower.

So if you have a college degree, a car, have been abroad (or are settled abroad), have Internet at home, and can read and write English, you are well into the upper-middle class of Pakistan........You are part of the 1%, as am I. I don`t think people realize how poor most of Pakistan really is. Since they have not lived outside big cities.......

Beena Sarwar mostly writes informative, interesting and succinct pieces. Unfortunately, after seeing the picture of a munhoos pao`n on Chowk sometime back, I have stopped reading Chowk`s articles. It was insulting to all women on the face of this planet. Ironically, most of the articles, memoirs and fictional stuff revolving around women are the most interesting stuff on Chowk. The rest is ool jalool - to put it bluntly. I am sure this must be an interesting read as usual. My apologies to the writer for jumping to one of the interacts vs. taking a few minutes to provide some feedback.

Romair: I hope that you will use some new statistical data in 2005. You have reiterated and hammered the contents of your post # 14 many times on Chowk. I understand that you have finally admitted the following in 2004 - ``The men certainly aren`t going to do it (in any country, much less Pakistan)``. Wishing you a happy new year - without any archaic and rigid perspectives you have been holding on to :)

samina, its replies like #16 makes people suspicious that you are an indian.:-)

regarding journalism, indian TV channels seem to be full of them, i mean i see women journalist reporting in noon-day heat in chaste hindi from in front of the parliament reporting live. i dont think its because they are more ``presentable`` many times they are sweating buckets and facing the elements. i know for a fact that Burkha Dutt is a huge role model for many young girls in my own family.