Voicing the taboo: Sexual harassment in HUM and ARY Digital dramas in Pakistan
Creators: name: Rizvi, Wajiha Raza
name: Imran, Maheen
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: 190204 Film and Television
subject: FOS: Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music)

description: This research examines representations and public response to representations of sexual issues in HUM and ARY TV serials, considering it is immoral to mention sex anywhere at any time in Pakistan. People may ignore if a man ever raises the matter but they will mark a woman as shady if she mentions sex. Though voicing the word was strictly considered a taboo in Pakistan until recently, the first ever TV serial <em>Udaari</em> (2016) focused on incest. Its controversy-lead-popularity encouraged the two channels to enter a race for producing more plays on all kinds of sexual harassment or women liberation issues. Their blockbusters include <em>Cheekh</em> (2019) on rape, <em>Ranjha-Ranjha kardi</em> (2019) on marital rape, and <em>Meray pass tum ho</em> (2019) on a working woman’s liberation and engagement in an extramarital affair. The study examines representations of sexual abuse in HUM and ARY serials, and public response to representation of sexual matters on TV in an orthodox Pakistani Muslim society. It reviews literature and notices a research gap on countrywide silencing or opening up experiences of people on all kinds of sexual abuse in urban Pakistan. According to UNICEF “around 15 million teenage girls universally face forced sex at some” point “yet many women do not speak up for themselves against sexual harassment” (2017). Anita Hill says women stay silent to avoid “labels as shady,” or “a victim of sexual harassment” (2017). The plays show that a male member of a family attempts to kill, or kills the victim, or pressurizes her to remain silent to save the family face or respect in society; the society tends to blame even an innocent victim and her family for a crime against their daughter, or a predator takes advantage of the situation. Yasmin Jiwani says women are seen as exotic, erotic and dangerous (1992), hence, punished. Eleanor Busby says men see things from “the male criminal’s point of view” and hold women responsible for crimes against them (2019). Sadaf Ahmed says Pakistani films not only end life of the raped or a prospective rape victim in advance, they also punish prostitutes with incurable diseases because of sexual engagement (2016). The matter of voicing sexual issues always created a spiral of silence in Pakistan until recently. Rape, sex, or venereal disease related topics are banned on radio Pakistan (Saleem, 2021), as they can lead to social disorder. Elisabeth Noelle Neumann says people stay quiet “when they sense their views are contradictory to those in the majority on a matter” (1974). This study analyzes the content of fourteen TV serials and also responses of a sample of 500 female and male respondents through an online survey. It uses SPSS to analyze data and the Cronbach Alpha test to determine the reliability of scales. While the qualitative study reflects misogyny, toxic masculinities, cultural and legal hurdles in keeping women safe, or providing them justice, the quantitative study reflects difference of opinion between urban and rural Pakistan on the representation of issues on TV, fear, inhibition, and openness.