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National University of Modern

Languages and Sciences

Subject: Gender and Media Studies

Submitted to: Ma'am Sana Zainab
Submitted by: Mahnoor
Department: Media Studies & Communication
Semester/Section/Shift: 5th-A-Morning
Roll No: NUML-S21-11315
Date of Submission: 25-May-2023
Class Activity: Reflection on Media Consumption
and Representations
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Analysis of Case Study of "National bases"

"Frieha Altaf Bravely Opens Up About Past Sexual Assault"

A well-known model, fashion designer, public relations personality and social leader Frieha
Altaf went viral on social media, in which she told the story of a horrific incident that happened
to her at a young age. Frieha Altaf spoke openly with Fareeha Syed on A Plus TV's morning
show about the issue of sexual harassment at the age of six. Frieha Altaf said that when her
parents went to Japan to attend an expo in 1970, they left her with her cousins, where she was
sexually harassed by a cousin's employee.

Frieha Altaf said she was 6 years old at the time and a cousin's employee took advantage of her
by seeing her alone at home and continued to misbehave with her until her parents returned for
two weeks. She said that despite the arrival of her parents two weeks later, her cousins ​continued
to harass her, but later she dared to inform her mother about the incident.

She also said that after her mother was informed, her parents had handed over the said employee
to the police and after her parents took action, her neighbors did the same to an employee.
Because he was doing the same thing with a girl there. According to Frieha Altaf, the incident
had made her mother depressed, but she remained silent for many years.

Frieha Altaf said that she later moved to Canada, where she got married but failed, as her
husband also abused her. According to Frieha Altaf, they had two children, but before the
divorce, she spoke to her mother and said that she tolerated her husband's mistreatment and
violence because she felt that after the incident in her childhood, maybe it is their duty to endure
mistreatment and violence.
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People Reactions and Feedbacks:

When Frieha's interview and her tweet got viral, various female celebrities like Mahira Khan,
Mehwish Hayat, Ushna Shah, Sana Bucha, Meera, Gharidah Farooqi and many other females
supported her for opening up personally on sexual abuse and speaking about it. Even male icons
of the Industry like Ahsan Khan, Hassan Shehryar, Asim Jofa, Omar Quraishi also rose to show
their support towards Frieha Altaf and many people expressed sympathy with her.

Impact on Society:
It is indeed a proud moment that our gutsy Pakistani women are speaking up against sexual
assault, stepping forward and sharing their own experience with it. With the power of social
media, they are raising awareness to help eradicate the stigma, and give survivors a feeling that
they too, can be heard!

My Opinion:
Sexual abuse is rampant in our society, and it happens regardless of class and status. It is a
known fact that the problem lies within ourselves. The problem is that we often deny it and try to
cover it up. This is the reason why abusers roam around freely without the sheer fear of
accountability. In times like these, it is emphatically and immensely important for parents to
educate their children on the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ touch!