Sadaf Kanwal's latest comments on the MeToo movement strike the wrong chord

Sadaf Kanwal may be making strides in the entertainment industry but her recent comments on the #MeToo movement were a major step back.

The model made an appearance with Amna Ilyas on Tonite with HSY where the host brought up the MeToo movement. Sadaf had some very problematic things to say about the matter.

"You know aap ke saath Metoo jab ho, tab boldo. Baad mai aap ko yaad araha hai metoo, So I think jab ho boldo. (You know, when you have a MeToo incident, say it then. Why are you remembering it later? I think when it happens you should say it.)"

Also read: How to respond when a sexual abuse survivor comes forward with their story

She went on to say, "Agar mere saath MeToo kabhi hua tou mai bolungi na. aur mai social media pe nahi bolungi mai aap sab ko bataungi (If I ever have a MeToo incident, I would say it. And I won't just say it on social media. I'd tell all of you.)"

First of all Sadaf, it's not MeToo that happens, it's sexual harassment/abuse/assault. No need to shy away from the realities.

Secondly, it seems like the model is not taking into account the main purpose of the MeToo movement, which is to show how pervasive the problem is. With the words "Me too," many around the world are coming forward with their experiences of sexual harassment to drive home the point that it is not the rarity that it's commonly thought to be. The movement has attempted to foster an environment of solidarity and support for people subjected to harassment and disparaging remarks about participants of the movement should not be tolerated.

Also read: Meesha Shafi accuses Ali Zafar of sexual harassment, encourages women to break ‘culture of silence’

Moreover, to victim blame a survivor of assault for not speaking up the moment it happened is an argument that shouldn't even exist. To be condescending and say "Baad mai yaad araha hai" is not okay and second guest Amna Ilyas said it best when she said, "When you think it's the right time you will speak up. Many people don't have the strength to speak up at that moment. You need a lot of strength to say something like that." HSY agreed.

Since the show aired on September 9, Sadaf's statement's been causing a stir online, reminding many of her insensitive joke on the MeToo movement regarding a news report on Bilawal Bhutto.

Sadaf, we're glad you never had any traumatic experiences and hope you never do. But we also hope you understand the difficulty that a person goes through and are more empathetic in the future.