By Anmol Irfan

Hana*, a Karachi-based writer,  was sitting with her brother watching reels with him as he scrolled through Instagram when she realised that more than a few videos were focused on misogynistic jokes and a number of Andrew Tate clips popped up. Each time, her brother scrolled away, and she shared that as far as her own interactions with him went, he’d never expressed any support or liking towards this kind of misogynistic red-pill content  which is often associated with highly controversial or misogynistic viewpoints, particularly within the "men's rights" movement, where it can involve conspiracy theories and accusations against feminism. “If anything I’d say we have very similar interests, and yet when I looked deeper into it, our feeds were completely different,” she says.

It’s no secret that Pakistani society is extremely misogynistic - and that misogyny has spread onto the country’s digital spaces equally fast. But it’s not just the societal mindset that promotes misogyny online, it’s the way social media algorithms promote certain biases. “There was a time when YouTube shorts would only show me right-wing, red-pill content. Given that my views are more left-leaning, I was quite surprised and, often, baited into being angry by some of these audacious clips. I do feel like my Instagram and TikTok feeds are still more curated to my interests,” says journalist and content creator Sajeer Shaikh.  

 Pakistani women have dealt with extreme cases of misogynistic and sexist content over the last few years - with women journalists or those in public positions being specifically targeted. But it isn’t even about targeting a specific woman - rather that constant barrage of hate on the country’s feminist movements, and anything related to women in general. Just last year, users on X (formerly Twitter) blamed feminism for the fact that there were apparently 10 million Pakistani women over the age of 35 who weren’t married.

Due to the prevalence of misogynistic content online, and how fast it goes viral, Hana* points out that she’s often seen it recommended to her as well, but the prevalence of it on her brother’s accounts was far more. While the prevalence of misogynistic content is one thing, Hana* says she also struggles to find feminist content on her feed and wonders whether it gets less reach, or whether it’s simply not available in her spaces.

“Pakistani women journalists make very little content on this [serious content],” says Lubna Jerar Naqvi, a journalist and IFJ’s Pakistan Gender Coordinator, while adding,  “Because it’s not considered to be serious journalism. We see all kinds of soft content catering to women  like fashion & makeup which is a good thing, but hard-hitting issues get overwhelmed.”

With all of this to fight against, and the added cultural nuances that make it that much harder to navigate this in online spaces, Pakistani women, and South Asian women in general have had a difficult time finding safe spaces online, but they’ve also learned how to navigate the algorithm to create those spaces for themselves where possible and get their content out there.

Global Algorithmic Bias

 Many of the issues Pakistani women have to fight against are a trickle-down from worldwide trends and algorithmic patterns put into place by social media companies and global data. Hana’s isn’t an isolated case. Research by Monash University last year showed that misogynistic content was recommended to accounts identified as male regardless of whether or not they actually searched for it. Similar studies carried out by UCL showed an alarming increase in misogynistic content being recommended to young boys in as little as 5 days after the accounts signed up to TikTok.

It’s not just about a specific kind of content either. Gender bias in social media algorithms can also manifest itself in more subtle ways. A Global Witness report from 2023 showed how certain ads were shown to certain genders through Facebook’s algorithm, despite the employers not specifying gender.

It’s not Facebook alone. Twitter’s list of suggested topics to a user in 2022 was clearly biased against women, showing how the algorithm curates an anti-women or more misogynistic online experience

And as Meta’s new policies come into play - that fight may be getting more difficult. Under its latest changes to hate speech and fact-checking policies, Meta now allows the objectification of women. Rules that prevented people from comparing minorities to objects or referring to women as household objects or property” have been removed. This comes at a time when Trump’s new government is already making it that much harder for women and gender minorities to feel safe and supported, and “trad wife” content is getting more and more popular online.

All of this adds up to have a very direct impact on the mental well-being and decisions of young women and girls as they continue to be shaped by the content they see online. In a UNESCO report last year, titled Technology On Her Terms the agency warned that algorithms on social media promoted content that led to young girls feeling worse about themselves.

“This exposure can have particularly detrimental effects on girls’ self-esteem and body image. In turn, this impacts girls’ mental health and well-being, which are essential for academic success,” the report said.

Facebook’s own research shows girls reporting that when they felt bad about their bodies, social media content made them feel worse. In many cases, this algorithmic bias against women also extends to activists trying to do good. In 2021, a well-known Somali women’s rights activist, Hanna Paranta’s account was restricted after anti-women’s rights activists launched a campaign against her. While Paranta’s account was eventually restored, her blue badge was not and her reach and impact severely decreased as a result of this ban. Yet when it comes to the opposite side, misogynistic hate speech and attacks often fly under the radar because companies like Meta and X simply do not have the resources to track hate speech sufficiently in non-English languages.

 Pakistani Misogyny Gets Amplified Online

 With so much of Pakistani content online being created in Urdu, Roman Urdu or regional languages, it’s no surprise then that hate speech and problematic statements don’t come under social media checkers’ radars. But surprisingly, it doesn’t go away even when users do try to flag it. “I personally don't go looking for red-pill content but it pops up itself. When I mark it as spam, there is no real action taken. I still see it,” Shaikh shares.

Pakistani misogynists in particular love to objectify women - comparing them to lollipops, cars, and countless other items in an effort to promote their own distorted views of gender roles. With Meta’s new policies, this already existing hate speech now gets a bigger space to thrive.  A 2024 study published in Social Media + Society indicates that moderation decisions tend to favor mainstream perspectives by 35%, which often sidelines minority and dissenting viewpoints, and in Pakistan that includes any women or gender minorities who dare to make the effort to talk about gender online.

“My reach has actually been killed due to non-stop Palestine coverage, and possibly even feminist content. My account cannot be seen by people under 16 too. I've received strikes and also a warning for being ineligible for monetization on Instagram,” Shaikh adds, and yet the misogynistic content and hate speech targeted towards women is allowed to slide without any checks and balances.

In November last year, the media organisation Uks Research Resource Centre hosted a webinar on ‘SafeWords: Combating Sexist Abuse in Urdu and Punjabi.’ They shared research by the organisation that found that only 25% of women in Pakistan have access to the internet and many continue to avoid being online due to the abuse they face.

Mobile gender gap in South Asia

And as the creation of content like this increases in South Asia, it creates a cycle of misogynistic content because it feeds into the algorithm. The more users create and engage with this content, the more algorithms learn that this content is popular and promotes it to more users. It’s why more women shut themselves off from digital spaces, and feel their content has no value or doesn’t make a difference, the more misogyny online will increase.

“A lot of people in South Asia for instance tend to genuinely believe feminism is Western propaganda or that it’s about hating men, when in reality, it’s just about challenging systemic inequalities that harm everyone. Because outrage can drive engagement, reactionary narratives get pushed to the top of people’s feeds, making it harder to have real conversations about gender justice,” says PhD researcher Shirin Naseer who also co-authored the article Gender-Based Violence in Pakistan’s Digital Spaces.

Of course, even creating content that fights the algorithm isn’t easy, and requires many content creators to work around the algorithm.

“They use alternative spellings like “f3minism” or “GBV” instead of writing out “gender-based violence” to avoid shadowbanning. We see people using trending audio or memes to package serious topics in a way that algorithms favour,” Naseer says, adding, “Another thing that happens is intentional engagement strategies—women’s rights communities will like, comment, and share feminist content in a coordinated way to push it up in the algorithm. Some content creators also subtly embed feminist messages into various forms of lifestyle content so that they can fly under the radar and get more eyes. It’s all about being more intentional and understanding the system better to work with it. “

But even then it’s not an easy fight. “As someone who had a semi-camera-facing job and vocal, I have had to deal with a lot of abuses, threats, and derogatory remarks. It would upset or enrage me at one point in time. Eventually, I just began to see the humor in it. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing funny about the things being said. But, you have to find a defense mechanism, I suppose,” Shaikh shares.

It’s also why Naqvi doesn’t fault women who create content that works for the algorithm, and don’t go after the so-called “serious stuff”. After all, for many people who depend on social media content for their income, making sure they’re working with the algorithm is crucial. “We have so many content creators but they’re not focusing on these things, they’re looking at trends and I don't blame them,” she says, adding that instead, organisations need to focus on training journalists who do work on these topics to gain the skills needed to create content that can navigate the algorithm.

“Yes reach for feminist is an issue, but people living outside Pakistan are making a lot of gender-based content and that reaches us, so I think the issue is that we are also unable to make hard-hitting content,” says Naqvi, and she’s not wrong. Many content creators in other parts of South Asia and even South Asian women abroad are able to find reach and engagement on content that revolves around gender justice, sexual and reproductive health and other seemingly taboo topics in the region. But they do so by balancing the fine line between content and accessibility. Getting the message across while still capitalising on trending audios, hooks and other tips that get their content across to viewers.

“If there’s so many women in South Asia, then why is it [gender-based conversation] not trending, and the basic thing is we don’t have tools and resources,” Naqvi shares, adding that she’s seen young singers and content creators find a big presence on TikTok. She believes that if the work of these content creators could be harnessed into creating the right kind of digital tools for gender awareness, Pakistani creators could create more successful content.

But at the end of the day, it’s important to note that no matter how resourceful women can get online, it should not be their responsibility to find safe spaces for themselves. “I think the idea of a safe space in the digital sphere is quite a whimsical dream. In an era where technology and humans have evolved to the extent where a YouTuber can tell the exact coordinates of one's location by looking at a picture for mere seconds, it's naive to believe that safety is a perk offered in any online space,” Shaikh says, talking about the harsh digital reality we exist in today.

Naseer also puts the onus on tech companies and social media platforms to ensure safe spaces and support for gender justice movements. “Perhaps while individual resistance is important, women shouldn’t have to 'outsmart’ algorithms just to have their voices heard. The responsibility is on platforms, intermediaries and policymakers to build safer, fairer systems. That means transparency in how content is ranked, stronger moderation against digital GBV, and intentional AI models that don’t reinforce sexist biases.”

By Hamna Iqbal Baig

As technology advances, it provides an opportunity for people, particularly women, to take up space on social media—whether to run businesses, build communities, sell products, share ideas, express opinions, or showcase their work. However, there is a downside. Social media platforms are increasingly becoming breeding grounds for digital misogyny, hate speech, and abuse against women. This is worsened by algorithmic biases, targeted harassment, and weak moderation policies leaving women at the mercy of systems and platforms that fail to protect them.

Gendered Slurs

One of the main challenges is the use of derogatory terms and gendered slurs in Urdu and other regional languages. A quick search on Facebook for the word گشتی (Gashti)—a derogatory term implying promiscuity, often used to insult or shame women—revealed a Facebook account named "مریم گشتی بلاول کنجری" (Maryam promiscuous Bilawal low moral character), followed by 1,683 people. The account appears to use this derogatory term to target politicians Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Some other common words which can still be found on the platform include کنجری (Kanjari) meaning a person with low moral character, another highly offensive gendered slur in Urdu and Punjabi, used to degrade and insult women as well as رںڈی, a highly offensive slur implying sex work, frequently used to degrade and humiliate women. بہن چود (Behenchod) is another vulgar Hindi/Urdu slur that translates to "sister-f***er” and is considered a highly offensive and misogynistic abuse in South Asian languages.

Moderation policies

Meta’s ‘Hateful Conduct’ policy states that it removes dehumanising speech, serious insults, slurs, and harmful stereotypes that have historically been used to attack or exclude specific groups, particularly those linked to offline violence. It also prohibits expressions of contempt, disgust, and calls for exclusion or segregation based on protected characteristics. However, exceptions are made for content that uses slurs in a self-referential or empowering way, or when shared to condemn or report harmful speech—provided the speaker’s intent is clear.

Meta defines slurs as words that foster an atmosphere of exclusion and intimidation due to their ties to historical discrimination, oppression, and violence. Yet, the presence of profiles containing such terms, along with the frequent appearance of slurs in comments and captions, underscores how platforms like Facebook have failed—or been unwilling—to effectively moderate them. This gap in enforcement enables misogynistic abuse to thrive unchecked, leaving women vulnerable to online harassment with little recourse.

Recently, on 7 January 2025, Meta announced changes to its content moderation policies, expanding permissible speech under its hateful conduct policy. Users can now post content that was previously banned, including referring to women as household objects or property. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has criticised these changes and warned that weakened moderation could halt enforcement in 97% of key areas, leading to 277 million additional harmful posts annually.

Other platforms like TikTok and YouTube also have content moderation policies in place to protect women from online abuse, however, there is a question mark on how effectively they are implemented.

TikTok's content moderation policies prohibit harassment, bullying, and bans hate speech hateful behavior, including content that explicitly or implicitly attacks protected groups, leading to its probable exclusion from the For You Feed (FYF). The platform provides tools like comment restrictions, duet/stitch limitations, and messaging controls to help users manage harmful interactions.

Despite these policies, research indicates that abusive hashtags and gender-based abuse targeting women, particularly female politicians, have been present on the platform. The Institute of Strategic Dialogue found that female politicians were targeted with abuse on TikTok and Instagram ahead of the 2022 US midterm elections, suggesting TikTok's content moderation policies are not always enforced properly.

Linguistic Gap

Experts suggest that a significant linguistic gap exists which means that platforms’ content moderation systems are primarily trained in dominant languages like English and fail to effectively detect harmful content in less widely spoken languages. This gap extends beyond simple translation issues—social media platforms struggle to account for linguistic diversity, regional dialects, and cultural nuances. As a result, slurs, hate speech, and gendered abuse in Urdu and other regional languages often go undetected and harmful content persists on social media.

Ramna Saeed, a journalist who has reported for various international and regional outlets, experienced this firsthand when covering a minority rights march on 11 August 2024 for a Turkish digital news Urdu platform. The march, organised to mark National Minorities Day, was met with opposition on ground from right-wing parties and Islamist groups. After posting her report on the outlet’s Facebook page which carried details of what happened during the march, she faced a barrage of Punjabi and Urdu slurs, including the use of گشتی and رنڈslurs from supporters of a right-wing party. Other comments targeted her personal appearance, and some accused her of spreading "propaganda".

Despite the severity of the abuse, she chose not to report the comments, since she feared that the language barrier would render her complaints ineffective. Instead, she requested her organisation to remove some of the abusive comments."South Asian languages have never been a priority for these platforms," she laments. One of the primary challenges lies in the failure of social media platforms to recognise and track, "Their focus is on English, despite the fact that there is a massive user base in this region."

After facing online abuse, Saeed was forced to change how she navigates digital spaces. “As a journalist, my profile should be public—that was my choice. But after these incidents, I self-censored myself, made my accounts private, and became more cautious about whom I keep or remove,” she said.

The experience also affected her journalism, making her hesitant to cover sensitive topics like minority rights, blasphemy, and sexual and reproductive health. “I have always specialised in video content, and the report that went viral was a video report. But now, I am reluctant to do video stories and prefer writing instead,” she explained, adding that video exposes a journalist’s face, making them more vulnerable to targeting compared to a byline on a written piece.

A representative from Digital Rights Foundation (DRF)—a Pakistan-based non-profit organisation that works to protect digital freedoms, advocate for online privacy, and combat cyber harassment, particularly focusing on the rights of women, journalists, and marginalised communities—told us, “Social media platforms struggle to moderate such content effectively. While they continuously collect keywords, languages, and hashtags, they often fail to grasp cultural nuances. This allows bad actors to bypass content moderation systems successfully.”

“They also fail to moderate gendered slurs effectively, not just in Urdu but even more so in regional languages. However, this issue exists in English as well. The problem is more pronounced in regional languages because platforms do not invest enough resources—whether human moderators or automated tools—to understand, flag, and remove such content. Even when they detect slurs, challenges arise when they are embedded in audio, video, or images,” the representative added.

Sadaf Khan, co-founder of Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD), former journalist and policy advocate focusing on journalist safety, media ethics, and digital rights, is of the view that while there are content moderators at social media companies with expertise in local languages, significant gaps remain. “The limited number of moderators prevents a comprehensive review of content, leaving many issues unaddressed. Most importantly, the majority of content moderation is automated, relying on various AI tools. While these tools can detect some problematic content, they struggle with different formats, scripts, and spelling variations,” she said.

Language is highly contextual in social media content moderation, as words and phrases can have different meanings based on culture, region, and intent. “For example, the term gustakh (someone who is perceived as disrespecting religious figures, sacred texts, or Islamic beliefs) is problematic only in a Pakistan-specific context and does not necessarily need to be included in global content filtering. However, current moderation frameworks do not account for such nuances, resulting in a system that fails to effectively address local challenges and needs,” Khan said.

Similarly, in the context of gender, the word tawaif—once used to describe courtesans skilled in classical music and dance—has evolved into a derogatory term often weaponised against women on social media. While not inherently offensive in its historical or artistic context, its modern usage reflects a broader trend in Urdu, where neutral or historical words have transformed into gendered slurs. Other examples include badchalan—once meaning "misbehaved," now used to shame women and imply promiscuity and badkaar—historically meaning "wrongdoer," but now a common insult targeting women's morality. These linguistic shifts highlight how social media platforms struggle to moderate harmful language, particularly in non-English and culturally specific contexts.

AI’s implications

Apart from gendered slurs, another major shortcoming in content moderation is the challenge posed by rapidly advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, as platforms are still struggling to keep up with effective moderation. With the advent of AI, women—particularly journalists, politicians, activists and influencers—are increasingly concerned about being targeted with AI-generated, manipulated images and deepfakes. These technologies are being weaponised to harass, discredit, and silence women. This often leads to reputational damage, emotional distress, and even threats to their safety.

For many women, these online attacks are not just virtual threats but have real-world consequences, forcing them to withdraw from public life or abandon their careers. Shukria Ismail, a female journalist from District Kurram, is one of them. She worked actively in the media industry for two years before becoming the target of severe online harassment. “Fake accounts were created against me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok,” she said. “The individual responsible manipulated my pictures, merging them with inappropriate images. Messages were sent in my name to my family, relatives, and even to individuals who were known adversaries of my parents. False accusations were made against my character, and in some cases, money was even demanded using my identity.”

For over a month, her family endured immense distress. Despite repeatedly approaching the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), she said, “they did not take the matter seriously.” Meta, too, failed to respond. “We consistently reported these fake accounts through FIA, sent multiple emails to the concerned social media platforms, yet we received no response,” she explained.

Ultimately, the consequences of this ordeal fell entirely on her. Unable to bear the situation, her parents decided to confine her to their home, effectively ending her career in media. “I am only able to write from home now,” she said. The incident also led to her emergency and compromise-based marriage, further restricting her independence.

Experts believe that if complaints’ regarding AI-generated content are not moderated effectively due to the platforms’ current content moderation policies. They face several limitations in detecting and removing AI-generated deepfakes or manipulated images targeting women.

“First, they have pretty limited detection capabilities—they rely on automated detection tools that are quickly becoming less effective as generative AI models grow stronger and more advanced. These tools are essential for large-scale monitoring and moderation, but they lack the nuance needed, especially in non-Western contexts,” Khan said.

She also said that gender is a complex subject, and AI is unlikely to engage effectively with gender and harm, particularly when these concepts vary drastically from one context to another. “What counts as online abuse, what qualifies as dangerous or inciting speech, can differ vastly from one country to another, making AI models for monitoring largely ineffective.”

Interestingly, The Oversight Board, an independent body reviewing Meta’s content moderation decisions, has intervened in two cases, concerning AI-generated explicit images of female public figures on Instagram and Facebook where the platform failed to uphold its own policies.

The first case involves an AI-generated nude image resembling an Indian public figure, which remained on Instagram despite user reports. Meta later admitted its mistake and removed it for violating its Bullying and Harassment policy. The second case concerns an AI-generated image of an American public figure being groped, posted in a Facebook group. Meta initially removed a duplicate of the image, adding it to its automated enforcement system. However, when the image was posted again and appealed, the report was automatically closed.

The Board emphasised that non-consensual deepfake intimate images disproportionately harm women and should be strictly prohibited under a clearer "Non-Consensual Sexual Content" policy. It urged Meta to improve reporting mechanisms, avoid relying on media reports to detect violations, and ensure appeals for image-based sexual abuse are not auto-closed.

One major aspect of taking down AI-generated content is how platforms define what is considered harmful. Regarding this, DRF’s representative said: “It all depends on how these companies define what is harmful and what should be taken down—whether it's AI-generated content, Non-Consensual Sexual Content (NCSC) or Non-Consensual Intimate Images (NCII). Their policies determine what qualifies as sensitive or intimate imagery and how it should be removed.”

They said that platforms often need to be briefed on what constitutes harmful content in a Pakistani context. "Even partially nude images can be harmful in our context. Culturally, women here [in Pakistan] are fully clothed—we don’t typically wear bikinis or expose our legs. These nuances don’t always fit within their existing policies, so we have to make them understand the cultural context and why such images, whether real or AI-generated, can be damaging to women," they said.

Role of trusted partners

When platforms struggle to moderate content—particularly gendered slurs, AI manipulation, and abuse against women—trusted partners like the Digital Rights Foundation step in. “Platforms constantly turn to us for guidance, and we actively flag bad actors, behaviors, keywords, and emerging trends to help them improve their moderation efforts,” the representative said.

DRF operates a Cyber Harassment Helpline, which plays a crucial role in mediating between social media platforms and survivors of online abuse. “We receive numerous cases—not just involving women in general, but also women journalists, women activists, and members of the transgender community facing gendered slurs,” a DRF representative explained. “We constantly flag these slurs to the platforms, inform them about emerging trends, and work to make them understand the context. Often, they either don’t grasp the nuances or fail to recognise the real-world consequences of such language.”

Saeed shared that after the online gender abuse incident, an impersonator started actively posting content under Saeed’s name implying that she supports a right-wing group and their ideology. “I came across it on a Sunday, and I panicked—I was crying," she recalled. However, she remembered DRF from a training session she had attended and reached out for help.

DRF intervened and facilitated her, but the process took four to five days as they had to send a request to Meta, who then reviewed the case. Eventually, the account was taken down. "They told me, ‘Since you are a woman journalist, your case was prioritised,’" Saeed said. She pointed out how dangerous such delays could be, given how easily blasphemy allegations can be weaponised in Pakistan.

DRF has gone as far as facilitating a meeting between social media companies and transgender activists during a surge in gendered disinformation and hate speech targeting the trans community. “We wanted them to hear directly from those affected—so they could understand the real-life consequences of these slurs,” they said. “Sometimes, platforms respond by taking down content immediately. Other times, they have to consult their policy teams before acting.”

While DRF’s efforts have led to some policy updates and country-specific improvements in content moderation, the burden should not fall solely on civil society. “We can only do so much—this is something platforms should be addressing proactively. They need to take responsibility for identifying gaps, understanding nuances, and tracking the techniques bad actors use to circumvent moderation.”

Although Saeed is thankful for organisations like DRF, she believes that addressing digital rights issues shouldn't fall solely on NGOs and civil society organisations—it is ultimately the government's responsibility. She pointed out Pakistan's structural and governance challenges, with policymakers lacking awareness of the consequences of their laws.

Given the grim situation, there is a need for a stronger advocacy network, with more organisations representing Pakistan globally and engaging with platforms like Meta, X and others so that journalists like Saeed and Ismail don’t have to self-censor themselves or abandon their careers.

Screenshots:

By خالدہ نیاز

ایک طرف دنیا آرٹیفیشل انٹیلی جنس کی طرف بڑھ رہی ہے، زیادہ تر بزنس اور باقی زندگی کے امور جدید ٹیکنالوجی کی مدد سے سرانجام پانے لگے ہیں تو دوسری طرف پاکستان کے قبائلی اضلاع کی خواتین آج بھی سمارٹ فونز استعمال کرنے، ڈیجیٹل ٹولز کو اپنانے اور سوشل میڈیا کی رسائی تک سے محروم ہیں۔ قبائلی اضلاع کی زیادہ تر خواتین کو نہ تو سمارٹ فونز استعمال کرنے کی اجازت ہے اور نہ ہی انکی انٹرنیٹ تک رسائی موجود ہے۔

جنوبی وزیرستان سے تعلق رکھنے والی سماجی کارکن نادیہ خان سمجھتی ہیں کہ قبائلی اضلاع میں خواتین ڈیجیٹل تقسیم کا شکار ہیں، وہاں خواتین کے پاس نہ تو موبائل فونز دستیاب ہے نہ ہی انکو موبائل فونز رکھنے کی اجازت ہے اور نہ ہی وہ معاشی طور پر خودمختار ہیں کہ وہ انٹرنیٹ تک رسائی حاصل کرسکیں۔ نادیہ خان کے مطابق قبائلی خواتین سوشل میڈیا اور انٹرنیٹ کے بارے میں نہ تو معلومات رکھتی ہیں اور نہ ہی انکو اس کے محفوظ استعمال کا پتہ ہے، وہ خواتین تو ابھی تک تعلیم کے حصول کی جنگ لڑرہی ہیں ایسے میں جدید ٹیکنالوجی تک رسائی انکے لیے ایک خواب جیسا ہے۔

انٹرنیٹ تک رسائی خواتین کو معاشی خودمختاری کی طرف لے جاسکتی ہے

نادیہ خان کا کہنا ہے اکیسویں صدی ایک جدید دور ہے- نئی ٹیکنالوجی نے دنیا کو ایک گلوبل ویلج بنادیا ہے اور یہ خواتین کے لیے ایک موقع بھی فراہم کررہا ہے کہ وہ گھر بیٹھ کر آن لائن کام کرسکیں اور معاشی طور پر خودمختار ہوسکیں لیکن اس کے لیے ضروری ہے خواتین تعلیم یافتہ ہوں، انٹرنیٹ تک انکی رسائی ہو، انہیں ڈیجیٹل سکلز کی فراہمی دی جائے اور انکی حوصلہ افزائی کی جائے۔

ڈیجیٹل تقسیم کو ختم کرکے اور ڈیجیٹل مہارتوں اور حفاظت کے بارے میں تربیت فراہم کرکے، ہم، قبائلی خواتین کی اقتصادی صلاحیتوں کو کھول سکتے ہیں اور انہیں عالمی مارکیٹ سے جوڑ سکتے ہیں لیکن ایسا تب ہی ممکن ہے جب قبائلی اضلاع میں انٹرنیٹ کی فراہمی کو یقینی بنایا جائے۔

نادیہ خان کے مطابق اگرچہ انٹرنیٹ اس دور کی ضرورت ہے تاہم خواتین کے ساتھ پیش آنے والے چند واقعات نے باقی خواتین کے ذہنوں میں خوف ڈال دیا ہے کہ کہیں انکی تصاویر لیک نہ ہوجائے، کہیں انکو آن لائن ہراسمنٹ کا سامنا نہ کرنا پڑجائے، انٹرنیٹ کا محفوظ استعمال بھی خواتین کے لیے ایک بڑا چیلنج ہے۔ اس ضمن میں خواتین کو تربیت فراہم کرنے کی ضرورت ہے۔
خواتین کی معاشی ترقی کے لیے کام کرنے والی تنظیم زوفاش فاونڈیشن کی چیئرپرسن نوشین فاطمہ قبائلی ضلع اورکزئی سے تعلق رکھتی ہیں۔ نوشین فاطمہ نے بتایا کہ قبائلی اضلاع کی زیادہ تر خواتین اس جدید دور میں بھی تعلیم جیسی بنیادی حق سے محروم ہیں۔ وہ بتاتی ہیں کہ قبائلی اضلاع میں پی ٹی سی ایل کی سہولت موجود نہیں اور نہ ہی ان علاقوں میں تھری جی اور فور جی کام کرتا ہے۔

کیا موبائل فون رکھنے سے خواتین کا کردار خراب ہوسکتا ہے؟

ضلع کرم سے تعلق رکھنے والی نایاب ایک وکیل ہے۔ نایاب کا کہنا ہے کہ قبائلی اضلاع میں سارے اختیارات مردوں کے پاس ہوتے ہیں ایسے میں خواتین کو سمارٹ فونز رکھنے کی اجازت نہیں ہوتی، مرد سمجھتے ہیں اس سے خواتین کو کردار خراب ہوسکتا ہے، اس کے ساتھ یہ بھی سمجھا جاتا ہے کہ اگر خواتین موبائل اور انٹرنیٹ کا استعمال کرنا شروع کردیں گی تو وہ اپنا کام صحیح طریقے سے نہیں کرپائیں گی۔

نایاب نے بتایا سمارٹ فونز او سوشل میڈیا سے محرومی نہ صرف خواتین کو معلومات سے دور رکھتی ہے بلکہ انکو باقی دنیا سے بھی پیچھے رکھتی ہے۔ سوشل میڈیا سے دوری قبائلی خواتین کو جدید ایجادات اور انفارمیشن سے محروم رکھتی ہے جو ایک لمحہ فکریہ ہے۔

اگر خواتین کو سوشل میڈیا تک رسائی حاصل ہو تو طالب علم اسے اپنی پڑھائی کے لیے استعمال کر سکتے ہیں، مائیں اپنے بچوں کے لیے تعلیمی پروگرام دیکھ سکتی ہیں اور وہ عالمی واقعات کے بارے میں باخبر رہ سکتی ہیں۔ معاشرے کو بہتر طور پر سمجھ سکتی ہیں اور یہاں تک کہ آمدنی بھی کما سکتی ہیں۔ دنیا اب ایک گلوبل ویلیج بن چکی ہے اور سوشل میڈیا اور اسمارٹ فونز کے بغیر اس گلوبل ویلیج تک رسائی ناممکن ہے۔

مزید برآں، سوشل میڈیا خواتین کی بہتر تربیت میں کردار ادا کرسکتا ہے، کیونکہ ان علاقوں میں مردوں کو باہر جانے کی آزادی ہے، جبکہ خواتین کی نقل و حرکت انتہائی محدود ہے. خواتین آن لائن کورسز اور تعلیم بھی لے سکتی ہیں، جس سے انہیں مستقبل میں کیریئر بنانے میں مدد مل سکتی ہے۔انٹرنیٹ کی فراہمی کے ساتھ ساتھ انٹرنیٹ کے محفوظ استعمال کے طریقے بتانا بھی ضروری ہے۔

قبائلی خواتین کا کام بچے پیدا کرنا اور پہاڑوں سے لکڑیاں لانا ہے: نوشین فاطمہ

نوشین فاطمہ کے مطابق ناخواندہ قبائلی خواتین نہ تو اپنے بنیادی حقوق سے باخبر ہیں اور نہ ہی انکو جدید ٹیکنالوجی کا علم ہے ان کا کام بچے پیدا کرنا، پانی لانا اور پہاڑوں سے لکڑیاں لانا ہے۔ " ایسے علاقے جہاں مردوں کا بھی دنوں تک پوری دنیا سے رابطہ منقطع ہوتا ہے وہاں خواتین کا انٹرنیٹ تک رسائی کی بات ایک مذاق ہے" نوشین فاطمہ نے طنزیہ بات کرتے ہوئے بتایا۔
نوشین فاطمہ بتاتی ہیں کہ کچھ خواتین جو پڑھی لکھی اور باشعور ہیں وہ انٹرنیٹ تک رسائی رکھتی ہیں اور اس کا استعمال بھی کرتی ہیں لیکن بدقسمتی سے انکی آواز کو بھی دبا دیا جاتا ہے۔ " میں نے کچھ پوسٹس کیے تھے سوشل میڈیا پر باقاعدہ میرے کزنز کو بلایا گیا اور ان سے کہا گیا کہ نوشین معافی مانگے، میں نے معافی نامہ لکھا اور ساتھ میں پوسٹس بھی ڈیلیٹ کی، جو ایک فیصد خواتین انٹرنیٹ تک رسائی رکھتی بھی ہیں وہ بھی اس کا صحیح استعمال نہیں کرسکتی کیو نکہ انکو پھر دھمکیاں ملتی ہیں"
زوفاش فاؤنڈیشن کی چیئرپرسن کہتی ہیں کہ بد امنی کی وجہ سے ہزاروں قبائلی لوگ اپنا گھر بار چھوڑ کرپاکستان کے باقی علاقوں میں میں رہنے لگے تھے جس کی وجہ سے انٹرنیٹ تک انکی رسائی ہوگئی تھی تاہم اب مہنگائی کی وجہ سے وہ دوبارہ تباہ شدہ مکانات میں رہنے لگے ہیں۔ ان کا کہنا ہے کہ قبائلی اضلاع میں خواتین کی انٹرنیٹ سے دوری کی ایک بہت بڑی وجہ وہاں اس سہولت کی عدم موجودگی بھی ہے کہ وہاں نہ تو سگنلز ہوتے ہیں اور نہ ہی موبائل انٹرنیٹ صحیح کام کرتا ہے۔
"میں خود بھی قبائلی اضلاع میں کم موبائل استعمال کرتی ہوں"

"قبائلی اضلاع میں لوگ قدامت پسند ہیں اور روایات بہت سخت ہیں، وہاں خواتین کے ساتھ موبائل کو برا سمجھا جاتا ہے، جس خاتون کے ہاتھ میں موبائل ہوتا ہے اس کو لوگ اچھی نگاہ سے نہیں دیکھتے، میں خود بھی جب قبائلی اضلاع میں جاتی ہوں تو کوشش کرتی ہوں کہ موبائل کا استعمال کم سے کم کروں" نوشین نے بتایا۔

قبائلی خواتین کس طرح انٹرنیٹ اور سوشل میڈیا تک رسائی حاصل کرسکتی ہیں اس حوالے سے نوشین نے کہا کہ جب لڑکیاں تعلیم یافتہ ہونگی، ان علاقوں میں تھری جی اور فور جی کی دستیابی یقینی بنائی جائے، روئیوں میں تبدیلی آئے تب کہیں جاکر خواتین انٹرنیٹ پر آسکتی ہیں۔

پی ٹی اے رپورٹ رپورٹ میں کیا ہے؟

پاکستان ٹیلی کمیونیکیشن اتھارٹی نے دسمبر 2024 میں اپنی سالانہ رپورٹ جاری کی ہے جس کے مطابق پاکستان میں آئی ٹی اور ٹیلی کام سیکٹر میں خواتین کی نمائندگی خطرناک حد تک کم ریکارڈکی گئی ہے۔ پی ٹی اے رپورٹ کے مطابق ٹیکنالوجی اپنانے، انٹرنیٹ کے استعمال اور موبائل کی ملکیت میں اہم نوعیت کی صنفی تفریق برقرار ہے۔پی ٹی اے نے خواتین کی نمائندگی کم ہونے سے متعلق درپیش چیلنجر کی نشاندہی بھی کی ہے۔ ڈیجیٹل لٹریسی کا فقدان، مالیاتی معاملات بینک اکاؤنٹس کی اونر شپ بڑا چیلنج قرار دیا گیا ہے، لگ بھگ 25 فیصد بالغ خواتین کے لیے قومی شناختی کارڈ کی عدم موجودگی بھی چیلنج ہے۔

پی ٹی اے کے مطابق سوشل میڈیا ایپس پر خواتین کی نمائندگی میں بڑی حد تک کمی دیکھنے کو ملی ہے، 6 کروڑ 40 لاکھ فیس بک صارفین میں سے 77 فیصد مرد جبکہ خواتین صرف 24 فیصد ہیں اور صنفی فرق 68 فیصد ریکارڈ کیا گیا ہے۔7 کروڑ 17 لاکھ یوٹیوب صارفین میں 72 فیصد مرد اور 28 فیصد خواتین ہیں جبکہ صنفی فرق 59 فیصد ہے، اسی طرح 5 کروڑ 44 لاکھ ٹک ٹاک صارفین میں سے 78 فیصد مرد اور 22 فیصد خواتین ہیں جبکہ ٹک ٹاک پر صنفی تفریق 71 فیصد ریکارڈ کی گئی ہے۔انسٹاگرام کے ایک کروڑ 73 لاکھ صارفین میں سے 64 فیصد مرد جبکہ 36 فیصد خواتین ہیں جبکہ اس ایپلی کیشن پر صنفی تفریق کی شرح 41 فیصد ہے۔

رپورٹ کے مطابق صنفی فرق کو ختم کرنے اور خواتین کی ڈیجیٹل شمولیت کو بڑھانے کیلئے وزارت آئی ٹی اور پی ٹی اے نے ایک اسٹرینگ کمیٹی کی تشکیل دی ہے- ڈیجیٹل صنفی فرق کے خاتمے کے لیے تمام اسٹیک ہولڈرز کے ساتھ بات چیت، باہمی تعاون کو فروغ دینے کی ضرورت ہے۔

جلدی سے بات ختم کرکے موبائل دے دو

ضلع باجوڑ سے تعلق رکھنے والی ایک لڑکی فہمیدہ (فرضی نام) نے بتایا کہ انکے علاقے میں 70 فیصد خواتین کو موبائل او سوشل میڈیا استعمال کرنے کی اجازت نہیں ہے۔ وہ بتاتی ہیں پہلے تو انکے علاقے میں فور جی کام بھی نہیں کرتا تھا لیکن اب بہت سارے گھروں میں وائی فائی کی سہولت موجود ہے لیکن خواتین کے پاس نہ تو اپنے سمارٹ فونز ہوتے ہیں نہ ہی انکو اس کی ایکسیس دی جاتی ہے کہ وہ اس کا استعمال کرسکیں۔ " میں بہت ساری خواتین کو جانتی ہوں جن کی شادیاں ہوئی ہیں، انکے پاس سادہ موبائل بھی نہیں ہوتے جس سے وہ گھر والوں کے ساتھ رابطہ کرسکیں، سادہ موبائل استعمال کرتے وقت بھی انکے شوہر انکے سر پر کھڑے ہوتے ہیں کہ بس اتنے منٹ بات کرلو اور جلدی سے بند کردو اور پھر وہ موبائل ان سے لے لیا جاتا ہے" فہمیدہ نے بتایا۔

گھر میں انٹرنیٹ لگانے سے لڑکیاں خراب ہوتی ہیں

فہمیدہ نے بتایا کہ جن گھروں میں وائی فائی نہیں ہے وہاں کے مرد نیٹ کیفے جاکر اس سے استفادہ حاصل کرلیتے ہیں جبکہ خواتین اس سہولت سے بھی محروم ہیں۔ کرونا کے دور میں بھی قبائلی اضلاع کی لڑکیاں بہت مشکل سے دوچار ہوئی تھیں کیونکہ کلاسز آن لائن ہوتی تھی لیکن وہاں انٹرنیٹ کام نہیں کرتا اور کہیں اور جاکر نیٹ استعمال کرنے سے وہ قاصر تھیں۔ مرد کہتے ہیں " ہم گھر میں انٹرنیٹ نہیں لگاتے اس سے لڑکیاں خراب ہوتی ہیں" فہمیدہ نے بتایا۔

فہمیدہ کہتی ہیں کہ انکی بہت ساری دوستیں ہیں جو تعلیم یافتہ ہیں لیکن اس کے باوجود انکو موبائل استعمال کرنے کی اجازت نہیں ہے۔ موبائل آج کے جدید دور میں ہر انسان کی ضرورت ہے، قبائلی اضلاع میں کچھ حد تک تبدیلی ضرور آئی ہے تاہم خواتین کے حوالے سے اب بھی ان علاقوں میں بہت کام کی ضرورت ہے، اس حوالے سے زیادہ ضرورت لوگوں کی ذہن سازی کی ہے۔ جب لوگ اس بات کو سمجھیں گے کہ سوشل میڈیا اور انٹرنیٹ کے ذریعے لوگ گھر بیٹھ کر کما بھی سکتے ہیں تب ہی لڑکیوں کو بھی موبائل فون رکھنے اور استعمال کرنے کی اجازت ہوگی اور خواتین معاشی طور پر خودمختار بھی ہوسکیں گی۔

قبائلی خواتین تعلیم سے دور ہیں

نبی جان اورکزئی ایک صحافی ہیں اور قبائلی ضلع کرم سے تعلق رکھتے ہیں، انہوں نے بتایا قبائلی اضلاع میں خواتین کئی وجوہات کی وجہ سے سوشل میڈیا سے دور ہیں، ایک تو خواتین کی تعلیم نہ ہونے کے برابر ہے، تعلیم نہ ہونے کی وجہ سے انکی سوشل میڈیا تک رسائی نہیں ہے، دوسری وجہ یہ ہے کہ یہ خواتین خود بھی سمارٹ فونز استعمال نہیں کرنا چاہتیں اور اس کو روایات کے منافی سمجھتی ہیں۔ اس کے ساتھ ساتھ زیادہ تر قبائلی اضلاع میں انٹرنیٹ کی سہولت ہی نہیں ہےجب مرد ہی اس سے محروم ہیں تو خواتین تو بہت دور کی بات ہے۔ اس کے ساتھ کئی خواتین کے شناختی کارڈز تک نہیں بنے تو وہ سم کارڈز کیسے لیں گی؟ سم کارڈز کے بغیر موبائل اور سوشل میڈیا کا استعمال ناممکن ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا بعض علاقوں میں تو خواتین سمارٹ فونز کے بارے میں سوچ بھی نہیں سکتی کیونکہ مرد اتنا برا مان جاتے ہیں کہ خواتین کو قتل کرنے تک بات پہنچ جاتی ہے۔

نبی جان سمجھتے ہیں کہ موجودہ وقت میں ان خواتین کے پاس موبائل فونز موجود ہیں جن کے بیٹے یا شوہر بیرون ملک مقیم ہیں۔ انہوں نے بتایا وقت کے ساتھ ساتھ لوگوں کے روئیوں میں بھی تبدیلی آرہی ہے راشن اور بے نظیر انکم سپورٹ کی مالی امداد کی وجہ سے اب خواتین کے شناختی کارڈز بننا شروع ہوگئے۔

انٹرنیٹ کا استعمال آج کے جدید دور کی ضرورت بن گیا ہے تاہم قبائلی خواتین روایات، علاقے میں انٹرنیٹ سہولت کی عدم دستیابی، سماجی روئیوں اور معاشی مسائل کی وجہ سے انٹرنیٹ سے بہت دور ہے۔ قبائلی خواتین بھی حق رکھتی ہے کہ وہ جدید ٹیکنالوجی سے استفادہ کرکے نہ صرف معلومات حاصل کریں بلکہ سکلز لے کر معاشی طور پر بھی خودمختار ہوسکیں۔