Nukkad Natak: Exploring the Effectiveness of Street Theatre to Address the Issue of Violence Against Women in Pakistan

Abstract

Theatre has a long and interesting history as an institutionalized form of art. It is rooted in religious narratives and rituals that provides a commentary on society, culture, and politics. Over the years, theatre, or more specifically social theatre, has been used as an awareness tool for a burgeoning spectrum of social themes ranging from sexuality, political and cultural conflicts, suicide, search for identity and exploitative sexual relationships such as harassment, rape and so on. This dissertation aims to explore social theatre in Pakistani context of Nukkad Natak, which focuses on socio-political concerns as well as human rights issues. My research examines the role of social theatre in the broader context of feminist movement in Pakistan and proposes an analytical framework that highlights the role of Nukkad Natak as an agent of change. This study begins by providing a history of Nukkad Natak in Pakistan and establish its significance as a catalyst for social change. My overarching argument is that Nukkad Natak can work as an effective tool in Pakistan to reduce the rate of crimes of violence against women and act as a strong medium for the education of masses.