Gogi, the heroine created by Pakistan's first female cartoonist

[Zibago]

Gogi, the heroine created by Pakistan's first female cartoonist

Pakistan's first female professional cartoonist, Nigar Nazar, nearly ended up becoming a doctor.
"In college I was studying to become a doctor, but I was constantly doodling in the margins of my medical books," she says.
"Shortly afterwards I decided to take a U-turn and managed to persuade my parents to let me take fine arts."
The decision paid off.
The star of Nazar's comics, Gogi, is a progressive, educated Pakistani woman who wears polka-dotted dresses - and is loved by thousands around the world.
One of her favourite cartoons explores how many in Pakistan prefer having sons to daughters.

In our country a girl's birth isn't celebrated very much and I really hate that," Nazar says.
She focuses on social issues and contradictions in society, saying: "I get inspiration from things that happen around me."

The Gogi comics have messages about women's education and the environment - but also depict the humorous side of everyday life in Pakistan.

Nazar says she began reading comic books as a child in the US: "It really began when my father was on a posting in Washington.
"When we returned to Pakistan, unable to find any local comic books, I stuck to the comics I used to read in the US and frequented the local bookshop to borrow, exchange or buy comics."

 

[Zibago]

After she dropped her pre-medical degree to pursue her love of drawing, she won a scholarship for art.
However, she says: "It was a struggle because there was no training offered in comic art.
"I joined an art institute but I had no formal classes, I was just told to draw a cartoon everyday."

I borrowed some 'teach yourself' books on cartooning and while that kept me going for some months, the real work began when I got a job with a daily newspaper."
Although Gogi is beloved by many in Pakistan, Nazar says her strip is not often published in local newspapers because comics about social issues are "not as popular as political cartoons".
"I've tried to turn my attention to social media now, and instead of newspapers, I've made awareness raising comic books," she says.
"I've made 14 comic books on a range of issues like extremism and corruption, girls' education and women's rights."

Pakistan ranks 147 out of 180 countries for press freedom, according to the Reporters Without Borders index.
Nazar admits that she sometimes has to self-censor: "In a way there's a lot of freedom of speech in Pakistan but it's only limited to certain topics that don't address some of the more real issues that affect people.
"Tolerating freedom of speech will only happen in it's truest sense when people's mindsets also change."
However, she also believes that comics offer a unique way for people to express themselves.

"I stay away from religion-related topics but it's not like I haven't addressed any taboos at all," she says.
"In some cases I've used quotations from the Holy Koran and got approval from clergies to support my cartoons on education as a basic right for girls and anti-sexual harassment cartoons."
"I think you can get away with saying a lot through cartoons that you can't say in any other way."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36101148
@django @Moonlight @PaklovesTurkiye @Shamain

 

[PaklovesTurkiye]

After she dropped her pre-medical degree to pursue her love of drawing, she won a scholarship for art.
However, she says: "It was a struggle because there was no training offered in comic art.
"I joined an art institute but I had no formal classes, I was just told to draw a cartoon everyday."

I borrowed some 'teach yourself' books on cartooning and while that kept me going for some months, the real work began when I got a job with a daily newspaper."
Although Gogi is beloved by many in Pakistan, Nazar says her strip is not often published in local newspapers because comics about social issues are "not as popular as political cartoons".
"I've tried to turn my attention to social media now, and instead of newspapers, I've made awareness raising comic books," she says.
"I've made 14 comic books on a range of issues like extremism and corruption, girls' education and women's rights."

Pakistan ranks 147 out of 180 countries for press freedom, according to the Reporters Without Borders index.
Nazar admits that she sometimes has to self-censor: "In a way there's a lot of freedom of speech in Pakistan but it's only limited to certain topics that don't address some of the more real issues that affect people.
"Tolerating freedom of speech will only happen in it's truest sense when people's mindsets also change."
However, she also believes that comics offer a unique way for people to express themselves.

"I stay away from religion-related topics but it's not like I haven't addressed any taboos at all," she says.
"In some cases I've used quotations from the Holy Koran and got approval from clergies to support my cartoons on education as a basic right for girls and anti-sexual harassment cartoons."
"I think you can get away with saying a lot through cartoons that you can't say in any other way."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36101148
@django @Moonlight @PaklovesTurkiye @Shamain

Nobody hates daughters in my family.....which society she is talking about.

 

[Azadkashmir]

brother its called projecting perception of reality rather than real reality. i mean like most dumb *** europeans dont even know that pak has women in armed forces we had women president etc yet they go on about women rights. matter of fact most euro country never had women president, i dont rember usa ever having women president. plus women are easily influenced by feminism they go crazy, i belive it cheap tampax not doing the job.

 

[Moonlight]

Great to read a female cartoonist.

But why again someone is misrepresenting us? This issue of 'son over daughter' is on very minor level in Pakistan. Not on this level, where you have to start raising your voice worldwide.

People need to stop exaggerating. I'm so done with it.

Her dexterity of art is a very powerful tool. Use it wisely with drawing the 3rd dimension of the picture. The positive side!

Media is already doing her job best to make this land look the evilest. We need her talent to be used to draw the beautiful side of Pakistan.

@django @Zibago what you say?

 

[django]

Great to read a female cartoonist.

But why again someone is misrepresenting us? This issue of 'son over daughter' is on very minor level in Pakistan. Not on this level, where you have to start raising your voice worldwide.

People need to stop exaggerating. I'm so done with it.

Her dexterity of art is a very powerful tool. Use it wisely with drawing the 3rd dimension of the picture. The positive side!

Media is already doing her job best to make this land look the evilest. We need her talent to be used to draw the beautiful side of Pakistan.

@django @Zibago what you say?

EXAGGERATION creates headlines, that is all I can say.

 

[xyxmt]

show Pakistani woman are oppressed and you get a fast lane to fame. I yet have to see anyone cry because a baby girl is born on the contrary mothers like baby girls, fathers like baby girls its only the mother in law who was a boy.