Earlier this month, 17-year-old Tikok star Sana Yusuf shot by a man who had repeatedly approached him according to police.
The murder of the popular Pakistani teenager, who had more than 1 million followers on Tiktok and Instagram, has expressed renewed concern over the safety of online Pakistan, especially young women.
Pakistani social media user, Heera Zainab said, “I posted a story on social media during the burger shop.”
“In my way, passes through a car, and someone called my name.”
Zainab, who has been active on Instagram since 2017, has maintained several public accounts, including a food blog and a society column. He said that this was not the only example where to chase gymnastics in a real -life encounter online.
“Once, I was in a salon, and after leaping, I said a message saying,” This color looks good on you. “
Both times, Zainab said that the messages came from strangers who had earlier advanced online which they had ignored.
Is Pakistan’s patriarchal norms blame?
Other recent events – Search as a video footage leaked to show Maryam Faisal at a private moment with a partner – highlighting concerns about women’s digital safety.
In Pakistan, digital places come with self-realization and economic freedom threats, privacy violations and social backlash pressures that often increase into real-world violence.
According to a 2023 study Digital rights basisNGOs that advocate women’s rights in digital space, 58.5% online harassment complaints in Pakistan are filed by women.
But public conversation rarely addresses deep, systemic issues – especially patriarchal norms that are spreading extensively from online world to homes, workplaces and society.
Women have asked women who face digital life, why visibility often costs cost.
Many women face ‘hate comments, “rape threatening”
DW spoke to many Pakistani women who use social media in public capacity.
Pakistani poet, Yusara Amjad has publicly used Instagram since 2017.
He said, “What started with Kavita increased in opportunities for construction and cooperation,” she told DW. “The best thing was that when a British African poet, Jarsa had chosen something from Instagram comments for a video call in Daily-Word and I won,” said Amjad. “I am associated with Indian writers and poets.”
But that’s why he remembered one of many hate comments he has received. “When my mother and I did yoga in a park, hate comments made it shameless and dishonestly,” she said.
Women were seen as a danger for patriarchy, family and culture
Bisma Shakeel, who is located in the Pakistani city chat, uses social media to raise awareness about mental health, focusing on narrowingist misuse and domestic violence.
His inspiration stems from personal experience, left a toxic relationship in which the partner was controlled and discouraged him from using social media to create a professional appearance.
But the 29 -year -old journey was not straightforward.
It took time to get permission to show your face to post videos from your family. For many women, freedom on social media, like offline places, is present on a spectrum.
“My father is Liberal, but even he said,” You don’t stop. People don’t want to talk. In our community, girls do not do this, “Shakeel said.
Although he is now active on social media, he said that it does not come.
“Not so much on Instagram, but on Tiktok, you cannot imagine such dangers.
Women in Pakistan – especially those who are active online are active online, whether they are talking about politics or society or simply owned their location – often justice is done and is considered as a threat to religious and cultural value.
‘This framing is the one that makes the oppression’ qualified ‘for many people. It is not random, it is deeply structured: he is labeled as immoral or un-Islamic, and then attacking it becomes a form of social or religious duty, ‘said Maham Tariq, a feminist worker associated with the Azadi March (“Women’s Freedom March”).
“This allows people to feel righteous while becoming violent.”
What works, what not
In an interview by DW, many women expressed disappointment that social media platforms often fail to support adequate support of online oppression. He said that the complaint process is very slow, and often ineffective.
A Karachi native Nov Aisha*, located in Berlin, has used Instagram as a blog and a community platform for years. He shared his experience of being online with fake profiles and docked photos.
He said, “Family members will screenshots my photos.” “And I saw my fake profile. ,
Aisha said that recently there is an Instagram feature that is blocking the account so that the IPS linked dramatically reduced the number of fake accounts.
After the assassination of Sana Yusuf, Nighat Dad, the founder of the Digital Rights Foundation, said that many women affected victims have become active in reporting of doubtful comments.
“He reported the profile glorifying Sana’s murder,” Dad said, who said that low digital literacy remains a challenging and risky mixture in Pakistan jointly with comprehensive internet access.
He said, “Bad actor, somehow, he is confident that it will not work for the victims and the survivors.”
While officials often work fast on complaints of victims, it is not always the case.
For some, like Aisha, security remains a major concern while visiting Pakistan from abroad. She said that she keeps her accounts private during the trips.
*Name changed to protect oblivion.
Edited by: Keith Walker
