Gender equality has a long way to go in Pakistan, but on our television sets and in cinema halls, we have progressed further than the titan industries of Hollywood and Bollywood.
Believe it or not, the first time I sat up in front of the television and actually enjoyed watching a woman in a drama was in the 90s when the beautiful, vivacious Shahnaz intimidated and eventually won over shy, insecure Gulsher in the hit series Alpha Bravo Charlie. One woman in a show about young army men left a lasting impression on me because of her confidence and drive to fight for what she wanted. There were many more similar women characters to choose from at the time. But television and movies around the world, then and now, still sorely need to give women in their industries more agency and more of a voice.
