Fazil Jamili,
General Secretary, Karachi Union of Journalists

There has been an increase in the number of women journalists in Pakistan in the print media, particularly with the introduction of private TV news channels, a study compiled by the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) reports.

According to the report, in the past two years there has been an increase in the number of women journalists, indicating a social awakening, a realisation of women's equal role and rights in society, and a lessening hold of obscurantist trends our society has been steeped in.

A tribute that the women journalists is that despite being a minority, they hold key assignments in their field, like editors, news editors, magazine editors, in the print media, and anchorpersons, newscasters, editors, and reporters, in the electronic media. This is ample testimony to their talent and efficiency and to the fact that they are as capable of shouldering the responsibilities towards society as their male counterparts.

The recent increase in their numbers is mainly of young, educated girls, who are working in English, Urdu and Sindhi newspapers, and Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), the private GEO Channel, ARY Gold, INDUS and Kawish Television Network, KTN, among the electronic media. The report findings show they are increasingly comfortable in opting for the profession.

The report findings show that the women are more comfortable working in English dailies rather than Urdu and Sindhi papers, pointing out the difference work environments make to their participation in this work force.

The problems they face include being underpaid, little or no job security and no health cover. Women doing daily reporting are few and exceptional, which while disproving that women do not do daily reporting, also show that there are structural barriers such as working late nights, resisting their integration, and they prefer working in magazine sections.

However, even those women who were ready to work as reporters are not encouraged by their editors or managers. Similarly, there are very few women news photographers in Pakistan.

Women journalists have highlighted issues like Karo-Kari or honour killings, education, health, sports, show-biz and even on economics, even when not in daily reporting. The report observed that there have been very few complaints against women journalist regarding corruption or black mailing. But the findings suggest they still avoid reporting on general crime and politics.

Women journalists have worked against the tide and become leading analysts, and have covered some sensitive events like Pakistan-India talks, SAARC, interviewed heads of the states and government etc.Some have also joined Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, while a few have entered into politics.

The report pays tribute to outstanding deceased women journalists like Razia Bhatti, Aamne Azam Ali, Najma Babar, Zulekha Ali, and Maisoon Hussein, who through their devotion, courage and high standard of professionalism set examples for others.

Razia Bhatti symbolized the voice of truth, refusing to capitulate to pressures and for her principles, resigned as an Editor of a leading English monthly magazine. She went on to found another monthly magazine, Newsline, which not only survived despite all political and government pressures, but just a year after its inception, bagged the most coveted Asia-Pacific prize for journalism. Razia Bhatti went on to collect a whole lot of accolades internationally for bold and objective reporting.

Pakistani women journalists have made a mark with the most august world media like the BBC and the Voice of America (VOA). The departed Aamne Azam Ali, Najma Babar, Maisoon Hussein and Zulekha Ali highlighted the issues like of AIDS, women prisoners, child labour, environment and violence against women.

Once departing from journalism, women have made their marks in other fields as well, like Dr. Maleeha Lodhi originally the editor of the defunct Muslim and later, editor of The News has been one of Pakistan's key diplomats holding the most vital of assignments like Pakistan's envoy in Washington DC and London. Former editor of Herald Sherry Rehman and former reporter of the Newsline Nafisa Shah have also showed exemplary courage in resisting pressures. Rehman did not bow to pressure when Herald exposed alleged criminal activities of the Crime Investigation Centre, CIA and its than chief Samiullah Marwat and than home advisor Irfanullah Marwat. Nafisa Shah was an outstanding reporter, who did several stories on different issues including violence against women. These three have chosen the field of politics to further themselves and contribute to society.

Similarly, in Urdu journalism there were number of women journalists, who have contributed both in magazine and dailies.

Ms. Siddiqua Begum is the editor of a reputed literary Magazine Adab-e-Latif, for the last 20 years.While Miss Fauzia Shaheen brought the only news monthly in Urdu, "Dastak" for the last several years.

Humera Ather, working for an Urdu weekly Akbar-e-Khawateen interviewed former Indian premier Indra Ghandhi. She alongwith several other women journalists like Fareeda Hafeez, Sheen Farrukh, Mehnaz Rehman, Shahnaz Ahad, Shamim Akhter, Salma Raza, Razia Fareed, Beena Sarwar remained active in the Union activities and contributed a lot in journalistic work.

Ms. Fauzia Shahid, journalist based in Islamabad was the only woman activist who bocomes the Secretary General of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and is still its Vice-President.

At one time the editors of the English daily The News, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, were all women. Dr. Maleeha Lodhi was the editor of The News, Rawalpindi, Ms. Kamila Hayat was the editor of The News, Lahore and Ms. Qautrina Hussein was the editor of The News, Karachi. The present editor of The News, Karachi, Humma Ahmed is also a woman. One of its former members, Lalarukh Hussein, even went to jail during the journalists movement in 1978, for the freedom of press.

Well known writer Fahmeeda Riaz, former editor of "Awaz" faces several cases because of her anti-Martial Law articles.

The KUJ called upon the young women to follow the examples of some of these outstanding journalists. The report findings show that more and more women are being attracted to the profession, one indicator being the enrollment ratio in journalism department in Karachi University, from 70-30 in favour of men to being inverted in favor of women.

However, on the negative side most of the women after getting Masters stayed at home particularly after getting marries. As a result those working in print or electronic media are not graduates from Mass Communication department.

To encourage greater women's participation, work security is paramount, as is a more respectable wage commensurate with qualifications and hard work required by the profession. The system of contract employment, attitudes of employers and the demeaning of press workers by owners, if allowed to continue, would revert the trend.

Women's greater participation in the profession would serve journalism in its purpose for building bridges in society and giving people the right to information. It would give fillip to the strength of worker's unions, facilitate a stronger labour movement, integrate women into this male dominated society and make their voices heard.

KUJ calls on newspaper owners and employers to create an environment conducive for women in which they can work, free of intimidation, with equality enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan, in line with the philosophy of human rights.

The Karachi Union of Journalists, KUJ, which represents over 650 journalists has some 60 women as its members, has decided to move an amendment in the constitution of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, PFUJ, to bring journalists working in the private television channels in its fold.

The KUJ also intends to give more representation to women journalists in the organisation both at the Karachi level as well as at the federal level.

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