Ms MARCH 22, 2015
ISSUE NO. 144
Literary Misogyny
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Navigating as a single woman
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inside En vogue — A fashion fantasy
Domestic goddess —
Indulge in the richness of Singaporean cuisine
Section In-Charge: Dilaira Dubash Sub-Editors: Amna Hashmi Nisma Chauhan Feedback: women@tribune.com.pk
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The Kathak queen Sheema Kermani
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The buzz
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 22, 2015
MsT delves in the field of literature in Pakistan to find out about the prevalent misogyny By Nudrat Kamal | Design By Maryam Rashid
Q
uick, off the top of your head, name five books that have gotten critical acclaim recently. Chances are the books you’ve named are mostly those written by a male author. ‘But that’s just because I read genres that are more male-dominated,’ you might argue. Or, ‘Well, men write better books than women.’ Such arguments are overly simplistic (not to mention misogynistic, in the case of the latter) and ignore the deep-rooted sexism that is prevalent in the world of literature today. Books written by men are often deemed more prestigious and worthier than those written by women. But that is not to say that female writers never get critical acclaim or recognition. There is, of course, J K Rowling and, more recently, Gillian Flynn, author of the contemporary thriller Gone Girl, to name a few. But overall, if females and males are writing about the same themes and in the same genre, it is more likely that the male author’s book will be given greater consideration over the female author’s book. Take the example of Jodi Picoult. The American author has so far penned 23 novels on a wide range of subjects, from mercy killings and school shootings to childhood leukaemia and stem-cell research. And yet, critics consistently dismiss her work as being ‘beach reads’ or ‘chick lit’. On the other hand, there are American authors like Jonathan Franzen (author of The Corrections) and David Nichols (author of One Day) writing about romance, relationships and family but critics still consider their work worthy of careful scrutiny. There is also the strange phenomenon of men dabbling in female-
dominated genres, such as romance, and immediately being hailed as respected writers. From Harlequin romances to the wildly popular Mills and Boons series and from Judith McNaught to Danielle Steele, females have been writing romance for ages. While these writers are popular, their books are hardly considered ‘serious’ literature. Yet, when Nicholas Sparks entered the genre, he was immediately hailed as one of the best romance writers — all his books have been turned into million-dollar films, complete with A-list casts. This phenomenon of male writers being hailed as the ‘saviours’ of femaledominated genres can also be seen in the recent popularity of young adult author John Green, writer of The Fault in Our Stars. Young Adult (YA) fiction has been around since the 1980s, with females writing profusely in that genre for decades, and some YA authors rankle at the idea that it took a male writing in that genre for it to be taken even slightly seriously. New York Times bestselling YA author Ally Carter expressed frustration on Twitter about this:
Ally Carter
“Gonna have to stop reading articles that (rightfully) praise #Tfios, but then denigrate all other YA hits. Sadly, it’s all the articles. Really, the overall tenor of ‘Finally, WORTHY books for girls’ is about to get me. I’m about to SNAP” Pakistan breeds sexism in literature According to the author Saba Imtiaz, female-dominated genres are comparatively less-respected. “Womendominated genres [like romance] are
considered to be second-tier, ‘easier’ to read and write, and that lack of recognition of how long it may take to write that work is quite dominant,” she says. Her novel is sometimes categorised as ‘chick-lit’, a term Saba thinks is dismissive and belittling. “I’m sure that when I was younger I used the word ‘chicklit’ too; I would hope that I am more aware now of how ridiculous a word it is,” says Shazaf Fatima Haider, author of the wildly amusing novel How it Happened (2012), who is equally offended when her novel is categorised as ‘chick lit’. “I don’t think of myself as someone who writes only for women, nor is the book solely read by women, so it’s quite amusing to see the quick categorisation based on the theme,” she says. “It is a novel about marriage and weddings and it is, therefore, usually considered as a woman-only book, which is a bit of a daft and one-dimensional way of looking at it. But that’s our gendered outlook at life for you.” Shazaf says that famous, lauded authors and critics are also complicit in this denigration of literature written by women. “[Nobel prize-winning British author] VS Naipaul famously said that he didn’t consider any woman writer his equal. He also said, ‘I read a piece of writing and within a paragraph or two I know whether it is by a woman or not. I think [it is] unequal to me,’” explains Shazaf. “Naipaul has also said in interviews that women writers’ views are narrow and sentimental. So yes, I think this sort of bias exists, though not many are brave enough to express it so overtly.” It is not just critics who view books by female authors differently. Readers also
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 22, 2015
respond differently to these books according to their gender. “Women tend to either identify with or despise a character or scene or the entire book,” says Saba. “But that’s because (in my book) the protagonist and her best friend are women and so there is more for women to compare or identify with. Men tend to be either entirely dismissive or terribly curious,” she adds. Shazaf also agrees that men and women respond differently to her work, although this difference, according to her, is justified given that there are more female characters in her books. “Women interact with the story more personally and make it their own, much more than the men do. This of course, is understandable,” she explains. But why do men need male characters in order to find a work of fiction interesting while women are expected to automatically relate to male characters in the absence of any female character in a story? “Men’s stories are generally expected to cater to an audience that defies gender, but for some reason most stories written by women are pigeon-holed into catering for women only,” laments Amna Saleem, a 23-year-old avid reader. She says that most canonical writers also happen to be male. Moreover, if you look at any list such as ‘Top 10 classics to read’ or ‘Things every literature student has read’, you’ll notice that the majority of authors on that list are male. So readers are expected to revere and spend time critically analysing only male narratives of history, society and culture. Failed past, present success There is also a tendency to assume that female writers are drawing from their personal experiences when it comes to assessing and critiquing their work. “In addition to labelling women’s writing ‘frivolous’, there is also a tendency to draw in a female writer’s personal life and background into the conversation and critique, whereas a male author’s writing is never critiqued in this manner,” says Saba. This sentiment is echoed by women authors in the West as well. American author Adelle Waldman, who wrote The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P, said in an interview with online magazine Brooklyn Based,
“In my experience, I think people are quick to assume I wrote my book to work out issues that are personal to me. I think people generally have an easier time imputing intellectual and aesthetic playfulness to a male author than they do to a female author — they can understand a woman writing from hurt or rage more than from a place of greater dispassion or from sheer aesthetic pleasure.”
Even if women are drawing inspiration from their own experiences in order to produce uce art, this is considered sillier than if a man does the same. Critic Anna North put it succinctly when she said, aid, “There is a consistent devaluing of women’s experiences. ences. A woman’s ‘selfabsorption’ is considered a man’s ‘moving memoir’.” And this is not merely restricted to the world of literature, but is prevalent in all the arts. To o take the example of music: Taylor Swift has often talked d about how her song-writing about past relationships is considered onsidered by critics to be shallow and exploitative, while ile the same accusation is never levelled against her male counterparts. In an interview to promote her latest est album 1989, Swift said,
“You’re going to have people e who are going to say, ‘Oh, you know, she just writes songs about her exboyfriends,’ and I think frankly that’s a very sexist angle to take. No one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says it about Bruno Mars. They’re all writing songs about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love life, and no one raises a red flag there.”
This devaluing of women writer’s work is apparent in Urdu fiction as well. While writers like Umera Ahmed and her ilk are hugely popular with the masses, their work isn’t considered ‘worthy’ literature — something that is perhaps illustrated by the fact that these popular authors are never present at literary festivals. However, according to Shazaf critical acclaim is not necessary for a work to be considered worthy. “Ms Ahmed’s stories generate a lot of debate about the inherent assumptions behind them. You can accuse her of reinforcing a lot that is wrong with this society. But then you can also see that her plays are wildly discussed and deconstructed.” On the other hand, in Saba’s opinion this devaluing of ‘digest’ writers is not necessarily about sexism, but is rather an issue of class as well. However, just because there is sexism in the literary world doesn’t mean things can’t change. According to Shazaf, it is not necessarily true that men are more willing to read books by male authors rather than female ones. “I think most people are generally quite open about what they want to read. The bias and leaning is towards nonfiction rather than fiction; that seems to be the national taste,” she says. Muhammad Yousha, another passionate reader, says he reads women and men authors in equal measure. “My library has a ratio of 50/50 male and female authors,” he says. “I don’t look at gender when I read, and I definitely don’t mind reading books written by women as long as they’re interesting and well-written.”
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En vogue
Samia Ahmed’s latest collection will make you feel like a princess! Coordination: Jawwad Ahmed Makeup: Rhyan Thomas Designer: Samia Ahmed Photography and Styling: Umair Bin Nisar Model: Rubab Ali
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 22, 2015
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 22, 2015
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Lifestyle
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 22, 2015
Don’t be afraid
Travelling alone can be difficult and to avoid any mishaps, follow these simple security tips and enjoy your experience
Enjoy the experience on your own
By Faiza Rahman | Design By Maryam Rashid Travelling solo, especially as a woman in Pakistan, can be a nerve-wracking experience, presenting challenges uniquely related to your gender. The following guidelines are based on personal experiences and are here to help you make the most of your trip. It’s okay to interact with men You will make nothing out of your trip if you avoid interacting with men. Shopkeepers, passengers, waiters, drivers, there are men everywhere and you will need to talk to them. At the same time, indiscriminate engagement with men is dangerous, no matter which part of the world you are in. Of course, there is a middle ground. Be attentive to vibes, body language and the kind of eye contact a man is making with you. Most women know exactly how much to trust a man based on nonverbal cues. If you run into an interesting male passenger during your travels, feel free to chat with him; if he is a local from the place you are visiting, ask questions. But, as common sense dictates, never tell him what your lodging arrangements are. If your ‘creep-alarm’ is okay with a casual conversation with this gentleman, exchanging phone numbers or email addresses is also completely fine. It takes five seconds to erase someone’s cyber presence from your life, anyway. Enjoy the experience on your own Sometimes, an interaction goes beyond the boundaries you had mentally marked for yourself. For instance, the interesting gentleman from the airplane may try to stalk you around the airport after you land, insisting on giving you a ride or buying you food. If you are new to the city/ town/village, remember, this is always a bad idea. If you’ve flown all the way there as a solo female tourist, the first glimpse of a new place is an experience you should fiercely guard as your own. No one should share it, especially not a random person you met on the plane. In any case, you’ll have to find your way through this place for the next few days/weeks/months/years. So why not start now? The quicker you learn how to use local transport options, the more self-sufficient you’ll be. Don’t be afraid If someone seems to be aggressively stalking you around the airport, become curt and don’t feel afraid to snub them very rudely. If this person does not back off, loudly ask them to leave — speak loud enough for people around you to hear. As long as you have a valid visa and passport, the airport is your safe haven and no one will harm you for telling another passenger off. At the most, you’ll get some hostile glances from people around you, who will judge you for ‘creating a scene’. You need to have a very thick skin. Remember, the heaviest kind of security — whatever the standards of ‘heavy security’ are in the country
you have visited — will be found und near immigration counters and nd baggage stations. Dart to these ese locations and talk to the stafff when you face challenges in dealing with a stalker.
It’s okay to interact with men
Dress smart We wish this didn’t have to be e said. But here, we’re trying to o do whatever we can do to make sure your energies are spent in enjoying your journey, and not fighting raging battles with the men who ogle and harass you. Be clever, carry emergency jackets and scarves. ves. Never ever forget extra sanitary pads. Be careful about who you ask sk for directions Whenever you can, go up to couples or families for help or suggestions. Shopkeepers,, café owners and idle taxi drivers will also help you out. Never stand conspicuously in a heavily-populated location, on, gazing at a tourist map. Sneak into a mall, a shop or a cafe if you need to look at it. Jot down notes and hit the streets again once you are fully prepared. Be alert and attentive A 100% coverage of potential al dangers is hardly possible, especially on a sight-seeing vacation where you want to do quite a bit of idle roaming-around on your our own. Hence, you need to keep a very open n mind when booking your hostel or hotel room. Rooms in touristy districts will be expensive, pensive, but they will be safer. Moreover, you will save your budget on commuting because all or most of the tourist sites will be near to you. Check into the cheapest possible sible room, but try and make sure you are near ear some kind of tourist haven. This will also help elp you not stand out as a female who is on herr own. own When the going gets tough on the streets, pretend you are with some large group of tourists. If you are situated in a place where there aren’t a lot of tourists, don’t worry and limit your interactions with the hostel/hotel staff and you’ll be fine. Avoid room service in such places whenever you can. Ask someone from home to get in touch with you in your hotel room through a directed call from the main lobby desk phone. Repeat this as many times as needed, preferably daily. Pretend to not be on a pleasure trip if you are on one. Carry your laptop and phone in the breakfast halls. Type feverishly or turn to your phone when you feel particularly jittery about someone around you. And while you are at it, don’t forget to enjoy your trip!
Dress smart
Be careful about who you ask for directions
Be alert and attentive
Domestic goddess 7
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 22, 2015
By Huba Akbar
From rice, noodles and gravy to meat, vegetables and creamy mayonnaise; this platter of Singaporean rice has got everything!
For the mayonnaise sauce: • Mayonnaise 1 cup • Ketchup 5 tbsp • Salt 1/2 pinch • Mustard 1/2 tbsp • Black pepper 1/2 tsp (Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set is aside) For the gravy: • Boneless chicken (cut into cubes) 1/2 kg • Capsicum (finely chopped) 2 • Cabbage (finely chopped) 1 • Onions (diced) 3 • Cornflour 2 tbsp • Flour 2 tbsp • Salt 1 tsp • Egg 1 • Black pepper 1 tsp • Olive oil 3 tbsp • Red chili flakes (heaped) 1 tbsp • Green chilies (finely sliced) 8 • Soya sauce 1 tbsp • White vinegar 1 tbsp • Chili sauce 1 tbsp • Chili garlic sauce 1 tbsp • White pepper 1 tsp For the rice: • Rice 2 cups For the noodles: • Spaghetti 1 packet
To prepare: • Boil the rice and noodles beforehand. • Prepare a marinade for the chicken by mixing flour, cornflour, egg, salt, pepper and red chili flakes with water. Marinate the chicken chunks in the mixture and deep fry until they are cooked thoroughly. • In a separate pan, sauté the vegetables in vinegar, chili sauce and chili garlic and soya sauce, along with salt and white pepper. Fry the vegetables for about two minutes and once they are cooked, add the fried chicken cubes as well. To assemble: • Spread the rice on the bottom of a large dish and cover it with the mayonnaise dressing. • Prepare the second layer by spreading the noodles over the rice, followed by chicken and vegetable gravy. • Spread some more of the mayonnaise dressing for the third (top) layer and garnish it with chopped green onions. Serve warm.
Cooking noodles is simple: Boil the water, toss in the noodles and cook them until they are chewy but firm enough to bite. However, when cooking is over and we proceed to drain the pot, some of the noodles clump together at the ends, forming a gnarly mess. Pulling them apart is virtually impossible, considering the moist pasta is too soft and tears easily. And of course, we can’t serve congealed noodles! So what does one do to prevent noodles from sticking? Many people — even renowned chefs from around the world — utilise cooking oil for this purpose. It is commonly believed that a few drops of oil added to the boiling pasta will keep the noodles separate without compromising on its taste or texture. Little do they know that oil is not the answer — lots of water and vigorous stirring is! Scientifically speaking, oil and water don’t mix. If we add even a little bit of oil to the pot, chances are that it will float to the top, barely fulfilling any purpose. Not to mention, when the noodles are poured out of the pot, the oil tends to stick which prevents the sauce or gravy from adhering. To put it simply, the oil will literally go down the drain so why waste it? Try increasing the quantity of water boiled instead. All pasta, especially the long varieties, needs water to cook properly. Also, water dilutes the starch and it is starch that makes the pasta stick together. On average, one pound of dry pasta requires at least four cups of water for effective boiling. When boiling water, you must use a pot big enough to hold it and allow for stirring. Boil the water on high heat and once it is done, add about one tablespoon of salt to season the pasta. If you have ample time, it is advisable to slip the long strands of pasta into the water slowly; as the submerged portion softens, the remaining part of the noodle will slip in itself. Once the entire strand is in, stir the water continuously for about two minutes to get the noodles swimming around.
Woman of the week 8
Performing at a festival.
Performing Kathak at Ravindra Bharathi as part of the India-Pakistan Culture Connect programme in Banglore last year.
Classical dancer
During an inter view.
I am a huge cricket fan and tend to get very emotional and sad after Pakistan loses a match. Ever since the World Cup began, I have only watched one match which was India VS Pakistan. After we lost the match I was really disappointed and stopped watching matches as I don’t want to go through an emotional rage. Now I only inquire about the scores and the final results and I am really glad that our team is playing well at the moment.
Pakistan is playing really well at the moment and their performance reminds me of the 1992 World Cup when we played against New Zealand and won. Also when we turned the game over this year after we won against South Africa despite the rain. I am hoping for victory this time around too and putting my bets on Sarfaraz Ahmed. It’s sad, however, that Mohammed Irfan has been left out of future matches owing to his injury as he is an outstanding cricketer and currently we lack such players. But let’s hope Sarfaraz will make our country proud.
Humaima Malik Actor Actor Fahad Mirza
I am a big cricket buff and I have religiously watched all the matches. Pakistan’s current winning streak has been great but as we are moving forward it’s getting tougher. We are going to face great teams and we need to gear up to put forward our best. We are any way going to face a challenge owing to Mohammed Irfan’s sudden injury and considering that we are not good at fielding we should win the tosses and bat first to be able to win. Sarfaraz Ahmed is playing really well but we can’t rely on one person. After all it is team work that counts. It’s time that the team pulls itself together and raises its spirit to be able to enter in the semi-finals. Fashion guru Frieha Altaf
The World Cup has always been fabulous. Pakistan’s cricket team has always been a rash team that comes out as jazbaati (overly emotional), taking on-the-spot decisions and lacking composure compared with their counterparts. Keeping that in mind, we are doing pretty well. We had our ups and downs but have finally managed to get in the quarter finals. And just as everyone is betting on Sarfaraz Ahmed, maybe this time a new kid on the block will actually make us win the game. Designer Deepak Perwani