Sara Niazi's Article

Prejudice

“Fairness is the real strength”. This was the marketing message of one of the fairness creams advertisement watched throughout the Pakistan. The ad was directed at women who desire for fair complexion to get prominence in the society. The idea of “being fair is superior” was actually given by English people who always thought and still consider that white skin is supremacy.

The concept of “white complexion is ascendancy” is traced back from the Mughal rulers of Central Asia, Turko-Afghan dynasties who were known for their white complexions and the British who ruled in the Sub-Continent approximately for two hundred years. It is also presumed that the fairness is associated with the landed class. In Pakistan, you won’t see a beggar with white complexion, if a person is a beggar here and wandering around the streets, the ultra-violet rays will burn his or her skin into coal.

However, the concept of beauty is also coupled with fairness. In Pakistan, there is no chance to be called beautiful until and unless the girl is very fair. Our advertisements establish the notion that if the girl is fair only then she can get married, or can get superior career or can attain triumph and promotion at work place. This also leads to the stereotypes among women for work in any field and for getting married that merely fair girls are the priority.

There are several outcomes of such advertisements which are certainly negative, that girls descend into inferiority complex, suffer with despair and lack of confidence. Their self-esteem is harmed and they loose the real aspiration of their lives.

Girls are very sensitive about their social acceptance in the society and the ones with darker skin tone are being disregarded in most of the places. So, we need to change the thoughts and modify the behaviors of not only people but also the media because if media wont perform positively for this matter than no one would ever even think seriously about color discrimination as an issue. And it is the major tool for bringing up any social change in the society.

Sara Niazi

Jinnah University for Women

Karachi.