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SPEAKER_08: I'm the host and producer of the podcast SESTA. We aim to harness the power of arts and culture to foster conversation and build peace in Cyprus. I'll be your guest host for this month of Womanika. This month, we're highlighting peace builders. In times of conflict, these women have stepped in, bringing their creativity and insight to help facilitate peace across the globe. Today, we're talking about a woman who challenged censorship in Pakistan and helped to transform theater in South Asia. Let's meet Madiha Gohar. Madiha was born in 1956 in Karachi, Pakistan. She aspired to perform on stage and on television. However, when she was growing up, Pakistan was ruled by a military dictatorship that heavily restricted opportunities for women in art. Madiha grew up visiting her grandfather in a village near the India-Pakistan border. One morning, she awoke to the sound of heavy shelling and air raid. At the time, she didn't understand the impact of warfare along the border. But that moment and the mid-air dogfights between Indian and Pakistani forces that came in the following months would impact her forever. As a young woman, Madiha decided to pursue her dreams of becoming an actor and director. She obtained her master's degree in theater studies at the University of London. Afterwards, Madiha moved back to Pakistan. She found work as an actor on PTV, the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Still, the country was under a military regime. Women's roles on television were heavily censored. The suppression of freedoms and mistreatment of women drove Madiha to leave mainstream media. She decided to create her own path, where she would confront the injustices she witnessed and experienced. Madiha married a well-known TV director, producer, and writer named Shahid Nadeem. In 1983, Madiha and her husband founded Ajoka, a theater group created to address bold political and social contemporary themes. It would tackle topics such as women's rights, labor, and religious intolerance in the pursuit of socially meaningful theater. Despite her classical training, she emphasized indigenous styles combining it with contemporary techniques on stage. In Punjabi, Ajoka theater means theater of today. The strict censorship of the theater The strict censorship laws of the era made it nearly impossible for Ajoka to find a venue for their work. So, the theater debuted its first theatrical performance on the front line of a house. They chose to give this performance in defiance of the strict censorship laws. The group started out small, operating out of the homes of members in the group and using donations from supporters and audience members. Soon, the organization grew and began attracting larger audiences. Madiha believed in promoting peace between India and Pakistan. She traveled to India frequently and made an effort to have her place performed there. She collaborated with Indian playwrights and directors, had productions featured in Indian theater festivals, and even helped organize transporter festivals to cultivate peace. While working as a director and actor, Madiha also gave lectures. However, she was forced to quit due to her theater activism. Not long after this, she was sent to jail for engaging in women's rights demonstrations. Madiha received numerous honors for her work in theater. In 2003, she was awarded the Medal of Distinction by the President of Pakistan for improving Pakistani theater. And in 2006, Madiha became the first Pakistani to be awarded the prestigious Prince Claus Award for her leadership of a joka. In 2007, Madiha's husband wrote a play that she directed called Borka Vaganza. A satirical love story, the script deals in controversial themes while actors dress in burkas. The play highlighted increased pressure on women to wear head coverings in Pakistan. However, the play was met with contention and was banned by the National Art Council in April 2010 after numerous protests. In defiance of the ban, the theater continued to perform the play. Madiha died on April 25th, 2018 after suffering with cancer for three years. She was 61 years old. Since her death, Madiha's legacy lives on in the continued success of a joka, which has become one of Pakistan's leading and most prolific theater groups.
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