Life & Style

Pakistani women who have been body-shamed

One of the participants says she was called harsh words like 'moti' and 'saand'

Life&Style May 06, 2016

a screen grab of a participant who says she was called harsh words like 039 moti 039 and 039 saand 039

A screen grab of a participant who says she was called harsh words like 'moti' and 'saand'.

Zainab Chugtai, a criminal lawyer based in Lahore, has released a video of five women, who reveal how they've been body-shamed by society, and their own loved ones, and the psychological as well as emotional impact of such shaming.

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The video of the women discussing how body-shaming has affected their lives, shows how dire the issue really is.

In 2014, Chughtai founded BullyProof, which is a social awareness campaign that addressed the issue of bullying in schools. As a part of BullyProof, she holds sessions with young students and has addressed over 4000 students so far, mostly young women.

Chughtai told BuzzFeed that the women featured in the video were all participants of a community based therapy group.

A screengrab of a participant from the video

“Unfortunately most shaming takes place within the family. Shaming is NEVER OKAY. It’s never a joke.” Chughtai said.

The first girl in the video reveals that she was called harsh words like 'moti' and 'saand.'

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The other one says that she was mocked for being dark-skinned when she was young, and for not being good-looking.

A screengrab of a participant from the video

One was told that "African kids were starving because I ate all their food," and "The grave that would have to be dug for me would have to be pretty deep."

A screengrab of a participant from the video

At the tender age of 14, a girl was told that she wouldn't get any rishtas because of her weight. "That says a lot about our society, by the way," she is seen saying in the video.

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The video takes an emotional turn when the girls express how body-shaming made them feel.

Watch here:

[fbpost link="https://www.facebook.com/zainab.chughtai/videos/vb.113300345/685745724044/?type=2&theater"]

COMMENTS (7)

Anand Prakash | 8 years ago | Reply The issue presented here is complex, yet one thing is certain: prejudices against women's body do not stick on them but come to the society surrounding them, there lies the slur. The subject of discussion is not to be the human body, female body in this case, but what women do to and give their world. If they create beautiful things - friendship, relationship, harmony, peace, tolerant atmosphere, and yes, sense of struggle against injustice and the social wrong, expression of disagreement and rejection, to name a few, the world is theirs to live and be active in. They have to work for their space in hostile surroundings. I am glad women in the video comments do precisely this. May it go on!

Veebee | 8 years ago | Reply This comment might be completely irrelevant but I have to say that the song in the background completely ruined the whole video for me. It was a ridiculous choice of song considering that it was overlapping with the audio of the participants and most of them were very 'okay' while talking and not at all so dramatic about it. As far as the issue of body shaming is concerned, I really feel that it's not just women who go through that. People are ridiculed irrespective of gender. It's unfortunate, though. I totally condemn it! How someone looks or chooses to look is none of anyone's business.

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Danish Maqsood | 8 years ago | Reply So glad someone came up with something like that. More power to Ms. Chughtai and these women !

Muhammad Ali Siddiqui | 8 years ago | Reply People should feel ashamed for criticizing newborn or teenage children as their remarks with the growing age of children remain in the memorary of children for ever. It is not only the case among the Muslims, but people who are patients of superiority complex all around the world give bad names to the children which directly hit personality of the children. Any literate person no matter how educated he or she is they will never call children with any other name except the given name. Giving any particular name based on the colour of skin or body comes under racism which is an offense in a United States of America and in many other developed countries. Pakistanis should come out from their mean mentality and let the children grow without making any verbal personal hits as it damage the personality of the children right from the very early age.

SaneVoice | 8 years ago | Reply If people are gonna criticize these ladies, they will be criticized for their looks one way or another. People always have something to say about everything. I am a guy and 5 years back i used to be very skinny and people always remarked about me being weak and now that i have gained some weight a bit muscular, people tell me that i have gone very fat even though my weight is 75kg and i am 5'10 in height. So bottom line: People will always give snide remarks no matter how much you weigh.

Rahul | 8 years ago | Reply I deplore the name calling and bullying but unless it is a hormonal imbalance induced obesity then I don't feel sorry for them. Call me insensitive but if you've become fat because of overeating and laying on your back all day then that's inexcusable. You have only yourself to blame. The girls in the video are not physically challenged. All they have to do is get up and go workout. Sorry but I don't feel sorry for you.

Brainy Bhaijan | 8 years ago | Reply Go ahead then, eat the whole buffet. I couldn't care less.

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