‘Why do our heroines sound like children?’ Sarosh Ibrahim questions media's obsession with infantilizing women

Digital creator Sarosh Ibrahim’s recent Instagram video has sparked a crucial conversation about the portrayal of women in Pakistani dramas.

In one of her recent reels, Sarosh highlights a growing trend of female characters speaking in high-pitched, childlike voices and behaving in overly “cute” or timid ways. She called it part of a wider global pattern, where the entertainment industry compels women to gain recognition based on appearance, roles, and even how they sound.

“Infantilisation of women in media, the little girl voice syndrome—you have seen it all around you,” she highlights, including in the video scenes from popular Pakistani dramas, including Meem St Mohabbat.

She explains how the media frequently depicts female characters as weak, naive, and reliant on male guidance. “This establishes a stereotype that women are directionless and they need a man to guide them,” she adds. 

Sarosh also links this pattern to deeper trauma responses, referencing global figures like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears—both known to have altered their voices early in their careers, reportedly a result of personal struggles.

In the Instagram caption, she wrote: “Recently, I came across numerous tweets (do we still call them that?) debating the child-like voice and mannerisms of female actors in Pakistani dramas... Let me know if I should discuss them in my stories if interested.”

The conversation quickly picked up. A user on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out how actor Alizeh Shah was recently trolled for having a naturally deeper voice in her Instagram reels. The user claimed that Alizeh had responded by revealing that many producers and directors expect heroines to use childish tones and mannerisms on-screen.

Alizeh didn’t hold back and she reposted Sarosh Ibrahim’s video featuring the X post to her story with the caption, “Finally someone spoke.”

In a follow-up story, she added:

“The high-pitched voices, the baby clothes, the overdone shyness?? Is it just 'cuteness,' or something deeper? It starts to look like we're romanticizing childhood in women...

When we package adult women to look like little girls, aren’t we, in a way, feeding the very idea that fuels pedophilia? Maybe it’s time we ask…”

Both Sarosh and Alizeh’s remarks have struck a chord with many online, especially those tired of watching strong female leads reduced to shy, helpless caricatures.