Women In Media
(Muqaddas Sarwar, Lahore)
Media has become a major
tool for launching psychological operations and influencing hearts and minds of
the people around the world. Women’s participation in the media sector can lead
to the improvement in healthcare awareness, prevention of sexual and gender
based violence, an increase in job skills and in overall civil society
engagement.
There are more women in media than ever before, particularly in the English
print media as well as in the relatively new TV channels, including top
positions. At one point, all three editors of The News, in Karachi, Rawalpindi
and Lahore, were women. Women also hold senior editorial positions in the news
departments of private television channels, as well as at Pakistan Television.
There are women directors of feature films as well as advertising agencies.
Analyzing Media Representation of Women mean analyzing the Way society
represents the women. Despite the fact it is difficult to find adequate data on
male and female ratios working in media in Pakistan.We can safely say that there
are fewer women working in this field as compared to men.
The visibility of women in the field, particularly radio and television not only
provides role models for other women, but also creates and expands space for
women in the public sphere, thereby increasing their acceptability in this
sphere and militating against traditional biases that curb women’s autonomy.
In Pakistan’s mushrooming electronic media, barriers for women are being broken
but sexual harassment and unfair pay have become a matter of a grave concern. In
media women have to face discriminatory attitude in society as they are less
significant than men.
Factors like family restrictions, male dominance, unfavourable workplace
environment, lack of training facilities, discriminatory salary packages, lack
of appreciation, lack of security services, transport facilities, lack of
separate toilet facilities and inflexible working hours should be overcome. So
that women can stand on their own two feet in the mainstream media.