The #metoo movement started on the social websites worldwide with the hash-tag #metoo which was against the sexual harassment faced by the women, particularly at the work place. It began to spread from October 2017, when Italian actress Asia Argenta released of list of women who were sexually harassed by famous film producer, Harvey Weigstein. There are many cases over the entire world, where women got support from public through this moment. In the official website of metoo moment, there are stories of survivors who thought they were alone but they were not, through #metoo moment, they got support from public.

Harvey Weinstein, Photo: Fox News
Harvey Weinstein, Photo: Fox News

In Pakistan, #MeToo Movement had been misused by many women to gain their own goals. They blackmail the men, and if the men didn’t fall for it, they just do #metoo to get their goals done, or to defame the men. The misuse of #metoo moment by some women made it difficult for the other women to get justice and support, who got sexually harassed in real, because due to this, nobody believes them. The #metoo mostly used by famous celebrities in Pakistan made it difficult to believe. More importantly the celebrities, who pose allegations on bigger celebrities, get famous within hours, and that’s what is attractive for them, FAME. Some women are involved in men with consent, but when the things don’t go like as planned, then they start #metoo campaign. Just recently, Famous cricketer Imam-ul-Haq got in such scandal where a girl claimed #metoo moment, by posting screenshot of her conversation with Imam-ul-Haq. In those screenshots, clearly it can be seen that the girl was also involved in him, and when the things didn’t go the way she thought, she started defaming the cricketer, not only in Pakistan, but in whole world.

Imam-ul-Haq. Photo Brecorder
Imam-ul-Haq. Photo Brecorder

Only few people knew the parliamentarian, Ayesha Gulalai before her sexual harassment allegations against Imran Khan in 2017. Why did she do that when she had no prove? And if she had one, she could have shown to the media. People started saying it as a publicity stunt as elections 2018 were nearby then, she could play the women card to get sympathy votes, or she just got into the other party to defame Khan.

Ayesha Gulalai and Imran Khan.
Ayesha Gulalai and Imran Khan. File Photo

In Pakistan, the #metoo movement started getting hype in 2018, when Meesha Shafi accused Ali Zafar for sexual harassment at the workplace. Her tweet gone viral within hours, and most people were against her, saying that it was a publicity stunt. Recently, the case was taken up to the court, where nine people were produced before court by Zafar’s counsel as eyewitnesses of the rehearsal session during which Meesha Shafi had claimed she was harassed. In those witnesses there were female too, who said that they were shocked at the Meesha’s allegations, as they were eye witness and nothing of the sort happened. If that’s the case then definitely, Meesha Shafi needs to answer, whether she was right, or wrong. If she was right, where are her side of eye witnesses? And if she was wrong then why did she do that? That’s a main case which we see as the misuse of #METOO MOVEMENT.

Ali Zafar and Meesha Shafi, Photo: Etribune
Ali Zafar and Meesha Shafi, Photo: Etribune

One more such story happened, when a doctor sent a friend request to Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s sister, and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy used all of her contacts and links to expel that doctor, saying that he harassed her sister. By doing so, she persuaded the women, to start #metoo moment, whether you get sexually harassed or not, to make yourself superior, or if you don’t like any man.

Sharmeen Obaid
Sharmeen Obaid. File Photo
Sharmeen Obaid
Sharmeen Obaid. File Photo

Many girls are sexually harassed and abused in the streets, offices, schools and even in homes in Pakistan, but Pakistani society has made it so difficult to trust such girls. There are many stories of sexual harassment faced by women of our society, but question arises, if they are true, as misuse of #metoo moment had been seen over the period of time. Every person should support #metoo movement if it’s authentic, and people do support the one who are real victims. But some stories make it difficult to believe when women had done something with consent, or done anything for fame. This is total misuse of #metoo movement, and through this, the deserving women couldn’t get support and justice rightly as people don’t believe them. So, stop misusing the hash-tag #metoo so that a deserving woman can get her support from public and justice from the court. I request my society to stop misusing #metoo and let the deserving one get support and justice, let them speak out for their stories, and let people believe the deserving one.

me too movement

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