Key Points
- Farhana Muna is a Bangladeshi Australian content creator, comedian and public speaker.
- Her coverage of issues like domestic violence, mental health awareness and gender equality has caused debate among her Bangladeshi audience.
- ‘Patriarchy remains a significant obstacle to the empowerment of women,’ she says.
Content creator Farhana Muna’s journey into comedy began somewhat by “accident”.
“One day after attending a party, I thought I should make a video to mock people for criticising others,” she recalls.
In the Bangla-language video, she acted out the roles of numerous women passing judgement on the weight of other women they are acquainted with.
Through humour, she wanted to highlight the prevalence of discrimination based on skin colour and weight in society.
The next morning she awoke to find the video had garnered almost 80,000 views.
It was then that Ms Muna realised comedy and social media could be an effective way to address topics such as domestic violence, mental health awareness and gender equality.
Comedy gives us a platform, courage and an opportunity to discuss the serious issues and terrible truths society faces.
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Farhana Muna is vocal about issues of gender equality in Bangladesh and Australia Credit: Supplied
Tackling social taboos through comedy
Ms Muna arrived in Australia from Bangladesh in 2008 to study at Melbourne University.
Now a diversity and inclusion team leader with the Victorian Government, she is also TedX speaker.
She says comedy facilitates discussion of “hard truths” around taboos that remain prevalent in South Asian countries and their diasporas.
“In our traditional [Bangladeshi] society we have a habit that we do not like to talk about taboo topics, especially about women and children's issues, we think they are shameful!
"People feel uncomfortable talking about them. So, the first step to tackling them is to talk about the issues.
If you do not bring an issue to light, it will remain in the dark and it will only get worse.
Knowing your audience
Ms Muna says her videos elicit both positive and negative responses on social media, “but the number of positive reactions is higher”.
“I receive many positive comments, particularly from women, who express that they feel heard when I talk about these topics.”
However, she notes that the criticism often goes beyond mere disagreement or dislike, and can become hateful and violent.
She cites a video in which she advocated for sex education in Bangladesh to be taught to girls from an early age.
In it, she emphasised the need to tutor children about appropriate and inappropriate touch – something that is already taught in Australia from an early age – and pointed to statistics that indicate .
However, after posting this video, she says she received daily death threats and hate comments from some members of her Bangladeshi audience.
I was told, ‘you feminist, you are spoiling our girls, spreading this kind of Western information. You experienced it because it is your fault, and you must endure that’ - which is a kind of victim shaming.
In another video, which garnered five million views, she joked about how men tend to focus on a woman's clothing, including where her veil is placed, regardless of what she is doing or saying.
In response, she claims she received 'thousands' of death threats.
Despite being an Australian citizen, she sought help from her friends in Dhaka who work in law enforcement, when the threats became too extreme.
While most of these threats come from men, there is also disagreement among women.
“Some argue for a religious or conservative approach when discussing such topics. Others say that if you dress appropriately, you do not need to worry about such things,” says Ms Muna.
Farhana Muna says living in Australia gives her a unique vantage point for speaking out on taboos in her homeland. Credit: Supplied
Why is gender equality so important?
Ms Muna says that despite advances, many decisions about what is acceptable for women are still made by men.
“For instance, the idea that a woman must have children and do housework after marriage, and that prioritising one's career makes one a bad mother or wife, are criteria set by patriarchy,” she says.
For her, gender equality means not having to follow these norms and being able to make her own decisions and pursue opportunities without limits.
“There are varying degrees of understanding [about gender equality], especially among expatriate Bangladeshis living in Western countries, where women have fundamental rights and social security, but still have other barriers to deal with in achieving full gender equality though.”
Ms Muna says some audience members have argued that her ideas might be relevant in the context of Western countries, but not necessarily applicable to Bangladesh.
The price of speaking out on sensitive issues
By living in Australia, Ms Muna acknowledges that she is uniquely placed to speak out on certain issues.
“I always keep in mind that my discussions about equality are influenced by the fact that I am in Australia. Gender equality is discussed here at a more advanced level, with topics such as pay inequality, career advancement, religion and dress freedoms.”
However, she says, it is important to acknowledge that many individuals in Bangladesh do not have the same opportunity to engage in these conversations.
Individuals may face harassment when doing so, she says.
However, it is also important to remember that speaking out on these issues is crucial for raising awareness, promoting change and empowering individuals to act.
“While safety should always be a top priority, it is important to continue advocating for gender equality and speaking out against domestic violence, even if it may be difficult or risky,” she says.
The Australian context
Australia may be advanced in terms of science and technology compared to Bangladesh, but Ms Muna believes there are still many issues facing women.
“This includes pay inequality and domestic violence, and women may not have equal rights in all fields,” she says.
Working as a South Asian woman in the corporate world, she says, can present discrimination and gender-based obstacles.
She claims there may be expectations from white Australians for South Asian women to be submissive and work harmoniously, which can lead to an arduous work environment.
Additionally, women of colour may encounter unique attitudes or reactions from their white colleagues and may even face resistance if they show success or speak out against inequality.
“Bangla-speaking women may need to navigate these challenges to progress in their careers.”
Ms Muna highlights that mental health is still considered a taboo subject in the Bangla-speaking community, even amongst the younger generation.
“We must recognise that COVID-19 has impacted everyone's mental health and that it should be given the same attention as physical health.”
She recommends accessing free mental health resources such as Beyond Blue and Headspace.
