New UH short documentary sheds light on women’s rights in Pakistan

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A new short documentary premiering in Hawaii shares a Pakistani woman’s brave story facing gender-based violence in the country’s conservative society.

Pakistani journalist, filmmaker and UH Manoa graduate student Haider Rifaat joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about “In Shackles,” which premieres on January 24.

“The film details the story of a 34-year-old Pakistani woman marred by a string of tragedies, including forced marriage and sexual violence connected to more complex societal problems facing Pakistanis,” Rifaat said.

“I wanted to not only depict challenges facing a low-income earning, uneducated Pakistani woman, but to highlight societal problems affecting everyone, including religious hypocrisy, impact of family conditioning on children, culture of silence surrounding violence and legalistic challenges and gaps.”

The film is supported by the Center for South Asian Studies, Center for Southeast Asian Studies and the Asian Studies department at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

“In Shackles” will be released on YouTube on January 24 with a free screening event in Hamilton Library, Room 306, that day at 1 p.m.

For more information, visit youtube.com/haiderrifaatfilms.

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