Actors question why women face intense scrutiny while men accused of sexual violence can face a different standard
Nadia Hussain and Nadia Afgan have spoken out against victim blaming and what they described as unequal standards in the way society responds to sexual violence and allegations of abuse.
The two actors shared separate posts on Instagram, highlighting what they see as a tendency to scrutinise victims and question their behaviour while those accused of wrongdoing may face comparatively less scrutiny.
Nadia Hussain shared a message addressing the different ways society can treat victims and people accused of wrongdoing. Her post questioned why certain women are subjected to harsh social judgement while the actions of men connected to the same situations can receive comparatively less scrutiny.
She also stressed the importance of accountability in cases of sexual violence, arguing that responsibility should not be shifted towards victims or those who speak out.
“We live in a world where sex workers are judged but not their clients, single mothers are judged but not absent fathers, rape victims are judged but not the rapists and the ones who speak out are judged instead of the ones covering it up,” Hussain wrote.
Nadia Afgan also addressed victim blaming, focusing on what she described as contrasting standards when allegations involve women and men.
In her Instagram statement, Afgan argued that women can face damaging assumptions and character judgements without substantial evidence, while allegations of sexual violence involving men may be met with demands for extensive proof before people are willing to believe them.
She wrote, “Men will believe a woman is a hoe with zero evidence, but need a documentary, 12 witnesses, DNA, CCTV, and God’s signature to believe a man is a rapist”.
Afgan’s post added another perspective to the discussion, drawing attention to the role that credibility, gender stereotypes and social attitudes can play when allegations of sexual misconduct are discussed publicly.
Earlier this week, actor Ayesha Omar challenged the idea that feminism is synonymous with hatred of men, using a series of Instagram posts to highlight cases of violence against women in Pakistan, India and the United States.
“Why does the word feminism bother men so much?” Omar wrote in her caption, accompanying a quote attributed to Nadia Carly that read: “Feminism doesn’t hate men. It hates abusers, sexists, misogynists, rapists, pedophiles, and deadbeats. And good men aren’t bothered by that because they hate them too.”
Omar followed the post with a series of Instagram stories highlighting recent cases of violence against women from around the world and drawing attention to the circumstances surrounding each incident.
Last month, television host Anoushey Ashraf spoke candidly about the exhausting judgement Muslim women can face over the simplest aspects of their lives.
She shared a photo dump on Instagram, opening with a direct message: “Hello, fellow Muslim liberal girl. Can we talk about some of the things that exhaust me?” In her caption, she wrote, “Currently (90% of the time) being audited by both sides. Surely I can’t be the only one going through this?”
The post featured glimpses of her outfits alongside the questions and criticism she said she encountered — from whether she ate halal and why she kept dogs to whether she prayed. The central message was clear: “Too Muslim for some. Not Muslim enough for others.”
“Having to prove my Muslimness to the very Muslim Muslims and my lack thereof to the non-Muslims. Having to explain my faith to some and my outfits to others. A skirt? Radical for some. Regular praying? Radical for others,” she wrote.