A staggering 32% of women in Pakistan have experienced physical violence at some point in their lives while nearly one among every three married Pakistani women report facing physical violence from their husbands. Such violence is not only widespread, it is also normalized. Syed Irtiza Ali completed his Annual Small Grant (ASG) project with a play on Gender Based Violence (GBV) to showcase the thoughts, emotions, and hardships victims of GBV battle with every day. A series of four shows were performed over a period of three days at the Pakistan American Cultural Center in Karachi.
Approximately 700 alumni were present to experience the theatrical drama live which was showcased with the aim to break this growing stereotype and understand the importance of equality and coexistence for both men and women. Irtiza, along with his dedicated team, managed to successfully execute the performance with the aim to raise awareness and tackle this social dilemma in a positive way. The theme was inspired by 16 Days of Activism that is celebrated on a global scale to highlight GBV. The project was executed in collaboration with renowned production house Stage Nomad Pvt. Ltd and the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN).
In order to make the message vastly accessible and inclusive, the play was interpreted in Pakistani Sign Language, a service provided with the help of ConnectHear, a social enterprise dedicated to transforming the lives of the deaf community. Over 100 deaf community members attended the performances. Furthermore, members from the Sikh community were also invited to watch the final show. Ayesha Fahim from Karachi, an enthusiastic audience member, shared her thoughts on the play and said:
“I have experienced GBV on a personal level and this show has empowered me to now take an action wherever I see such violation taking place, not just for women but for males as well. Thank you Irtiza and PUAN for delivering such an important message through the engaging medium of theatre.”
The show also drew media attention, inviting coverage from several media channels. Various individuals from different fields joined in to witness the well-deserved hype including social workers, NGO representatives, bureaucrats, diplomats, faculty members and students. In total, approximately 22,000 individuals benefited from this project. Azma Dhanjee, CEO and Founder of ConnectHear shared her sentiments after the show, saying:
“I am a former PUAN member and the CEO and founder of ConnectHear. It was so good to be a part of it and interpreting it for the deaf community. This is a particularly important issue because the deaf community is regularly subjected to the GBV, especially when the perpetrators know that very few people can actually understand them. I would like to congratulate Irtiza and PUAN for delivering an amazing show. There should definitely be more initiatives like these. “
