SIMRIN SIRUR
Shaista Hakim — the first woman journalist in the city of Swat — has alleged that she was denied a membership in the Swat Press Club because of her gender.
She also said that she had been denied membership in the Electronic Media Association for the same reason.
According to Hakim, her journalistic credentials of nine years were never acknowledged by the local journalistic community in Swat because she is a woman.
The Swat Valley is a deeply conservative region that was once briefly under Taliban control — from 2007 to 2009. It is located in the north-west frontier province of Pakistan, where South Asia, Central Asia and China meet, making it a strategic location.
It was here where Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban. Though they cleared out in 2009, a strong military presence remains to safeguard the area.
“Local journalists are not ready to acknowledge my journalistic identity,” Hakim said.
Hakim has worked with Radio Pakistan, Tribal News Network, among other media organisations.
The Pakhtun Journalists Association has come out in support of Hakim and tweeted: “#PJA stands with the only Female Journalist of #Swat @shaistahakim1. Swat Press Club must award her Membership to make our whole community proud.”
#PJA stands with the only Female Journalist of #Swat @shaistahakim1. Swat Press Club must award her Membership to make our whole community proud. FYI @ur_rahman3 mashaalradio.com/a/30432738.html
See Pakhtun Journalists Association's other Tweets
According to the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, less than five per cent of the 20,000 journalists working in Pakistan are women.
No comments:
Post a Comment