When I interviewed Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy a year ago for an independent project in the works – “The Legendary Faces of Pakistan” – little did I know that the visionary and brave individual I was having a thought provoking chat with would be receiving an Oscar award on the 26th of February, 2012 for the best short documentary, Saving Face. At the time Obaid-Chinoy was busy with the “Citizens Archive of Pakistan” (CAP), an initiative started by her and one of Pakistan’s most dignified photographers, Amean J, as a platform to archive historical references, happenings and memorabilia, post partition. After the interview she guided me into the CAP headquarters where I came upon a group of aspiring and hardworking women, typing away ferociously, conducting research for exhibitions and projects that were well received by the masses, namely, “State of Being So Divided”. It was exciting to see youngsters with immense hope in their eyes, representing their nation at a time when Pakistan was (and still is) being struck with a cacophony of bomb blasts and violence causing irreversible damage to many innocent hearts and minds.
During the interview, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy made some remarkable yet humbling comments that opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking. Belonging to a patriarchal society I had been surrounded by the notion that a woman was not much without a man. Astoundingly, Sharmeen wistfully said,
“I think I would never have been able to do the kind of work I have been able to do if I was a man. I have had many doors opened to me because very few women did the kind of work I did and I always use that to my advantage.”
Us Pakistanis, whether within the country or outside of it, are an emotionally heightened group of people. Whether it is protesting on the cold streets of Toronto and New York to plead the U.S government to cease drone attacks on our beloved country or advocating within the country against violence toward women, we do it with a passion and zeal that is unmatched. The result of this dedication is that the undaunted women of our nation are finally raising their voices and being heard. Our country is an open book and is constantly in the eyes of the mainstream media. Not a day goes by without Pakistan’s name being uttered by a news anchor, followed by graphic images of explosions and bloodshed.
Government bills highlighting issues of security for women are being passed and more and more women are entering politics and peace dialogues. Female doctors, lawyers, activists and peacemakers are taking to the streets, demanding change and progress. Child prodigies like Malala Yousufzai and Arfa Karim (RIP) have impacted the world’s sentiments towards the constantly torn country bringing to light a major aspect that is largely ignored on an international level: We, the women of Pakistan, are in no way a reflection of the fundamental, violent and corrupt forces of our country. When given the opportunity to advance through education and career, instead of having our rights violated, the possibilities of what we are capable of achieving are endless and infinite. As this celebratory day proves to the globe, a Pakistani woman has brought home one of the most dignified awards the world has seen and not only has she put Pakistan on the map but in the process she brought to light issues that are not only sensitive but generally dismissed. I remember reading about acid victims in the past, quite sporadically in newspapers and magazines, but Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy humanizes the victims shunned by society and gives them a voice. She gives them a voice that has now reached millions of people bringing awareness, which in turn can and will lead to a change in perspective and a shift in mentality.
I leave you with another passage by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, narrated during our interview, that I use as a personal mantra to this day. It has enabled me to follow my heart, despite social expectations of those that think I should be a dutiful wife and mother and not a woman living away from family in foreign lands pursuing my dreams:
“My advice to everyone always is that knock on every door. If you don’t get a reply, knock again. Till they open the door. You make your own destiny. It’s the choices in life you make or the kind of work that you put in that shows itself to other people. If you try hard, every door can open. I never believe that just because I grew up in Pakistan, how can I make it in the West or why would the West award me just because I come from this part of the world. My work is judged, against the work of everyone around the world, so my competition is not Pakistan. My competition is the rest of the world. My advice to most young Pakistani filmmakers is that there are hardly any filmmakers in Pakistan. They need to look outside of this box and compare themselves to what other people over the world are creating and to try their best to push themselves to that level.” – Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
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