While many women in the biz can jump to the conclusion that if they haven’t been harassed then it’s not a problem in a certain workspace, Anoushey Ashraf is speaking up for others. The VJ-cum-actor shared that less privileged women were regularly harassed in the biz when she started out.
Anoushey Ashraf started out as a VJ long before Mahira Khan, Ayesha Omar, etc. Soon enough she was a household name. She acknowledges and thanks her ‘privilege’ for having protected her. This also made her realize when to take a stand.
She opened up about how women with less privilege, no family money, or background to protect them were regularly harassed and molested in the industry.
“We were also less vulnerable. However, women around us, who came from relatively less privileged households, were regularly molested, propositioned, given lesser money and odd jobs.”
Anoushey Ashraf told Express Tribune that when people with privilege choose to ignore issues that don’t directly affect them they are enablers.
“If you’re not affected by a problem, you’re part of the problem. And if you see oppression, have with yourself a space to condemn it, and you don’t, you’re in the wrong.”
Eventually, the problem escalates to affect privileged women too. An example is how the current situation makes even privileged women feel vulnerable, after the Noor Mukadam case.
“I’m glad that now, nobody can turn a blind eye. If #MeToo had come into effect back when I joined, it would’ve been so easy to kill the conversation and the story. But now people know that if they don’t make noise, unki privilege bhi chin jaegi.”
As for the criticism towards the VJ in the past for not supporting feminism, she clarified that she was unaware of what this movement was back in the day. Now that she’s more aware she is personally active towards highlighting women issues.
“Everybody comes from a different standpoint, a different upbringing. It is our moral duty to understand and evolve. But I didn’t understand what feminism was back in the day either, … I didn’t know until I saw Pakistani women come out with their stories of abuse and harassment. That’s when I thought, ‘ye tou meray sath bhi hua hai! Even I have been sexually harassed as a child.”
The VJ also runs her own sexual abuse support initiative called ‘Believe Women’.
