COMEX’ COMPETITIVE NOTES Gender Studies |

by Mr. Abdul Nabi Soomro - IRS

LECTURE 03

Feminist Movement in Pakistan

• Feminist and women’s rights consciousness in Pakistan has historically been shaped in response
to national and global reconfigurations of power including colonialism, nationalism, dictatorship,
democracy and the Global War on Terror (GWoT).

• The relationship between the women’s movement and the Pakistani state has undergone
significant shifts, from mutual accommodation and a complementary ethos to confrontation and
conflict, followed by collaboration, co-optation and, finally, collusion depending upon
transformations in the nature of the state at particular moments in history.

• The strategies of the women’s movement reflect significant shifts, from a focus on education and
welfare to legal reform, and ultimately to women’s political and economic rights.

• A historically consistent and sustained tension between the women’s movement/feminism and the
state, as well as between the movement and ‘civil society’ consisting of non-state actors, has
resulted from specific articulations of religion at different times confronted by the impulse toward
a secular ethos.

Out of the countless false notions that sprung up, the idea of the ‘victimised Muslim woman’ is the
perhaps the most common. Terms like ‘veil’ and ‘burqa’ are now part of regular political jargon
claiming that Muslim women are subjugated and victimised by these fundamentalist Islamic practices
and should be rescued from their entrapment. To make matters worse, understanding and tolerance
for feminism in Pakistan and other Muslim countries remains low, limited to a narrow continuum
between eastern and western ideologies. Feminism is generally regarded as unnecessary; a construct
of the West which deserves no importance in the Islamic structure.

In their acclaimed 2012 study entitled Position of Pakistani Women in the 21st Century, Dr Jaweria
Shahid and Khalid Manzoor Butt define feminism as equality for women and freedom from gender
discrimination in different aspects of life. “Feminists are those who dare to break the conspiracy of
silence about oppression, unequal relationships between men and women and who want to change
it,” they write. “All feminist pursuits are aimed at social movement acquiring rights for women from
society.” Keeping this under consideration, one might argue that feminism in Pakistan is a complete
myth. Ever since its independence, in Pakistan have been battling exploitative treatment at the hands
of their male counterparts – the social, economic and political environment making it difficult for
them to progress and fight for their rights. There has almost always been some backlash against
women who wish to empower themselves be it by studying, working or even choosing a spouse for
themselves. NGOs and other institutions that work to help oppressed women are accused of
misleading and ‘brainwashing’ them. Most of these women internalise their suffering, either out of
fear or a lack of resources to turn to and the relatively affluent, educated upper class simply turns a
blind eye, hoping to maintain their status quo.

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COMEX’ COMPETITIVE NOTES Gender Studies |
by Mr. Abdul Nabi Soomro - IRS
Broadly speaking, there are two dominant threads of feminist discourse in Pakistan: a modern, Islamic
feminism and a secular feminism. Modern Islamic feminists such as Riffat Hassan, Amina Wadud and
Asma Barlas seek to further women’s rights by redefining Islamic views and focusing on the female-
centric laws Islam offers. This form of feminism appeals largely to the lower, middle and upper-middle
strata of society which looks to religion for answers. Secular feminists like Shahnaz Rouse and Fouzia
Saeed consider feminism as an extention of basic human rights, regardless of any religious
connotations. Once again, these women are labelled as protagonists of western culture by those who
misconstrue Islamic teachings to suit feed their own, chauvinistic principles.

Unfortunately, what most people fail to realise is that feminism in Paksitan is not entirely a novel
concept, nor is it anti-Islamic. In fact, Islam was the first religion to formally grant women a status
they had not enjoyed before and taught moral, spiritual and economic equality. There are countless
quotes from prominent Islamic scholars, ahadith and the Quran itself, promulgating women’s rights
regarding different of life, including education, marriage and divorce. In politics, the undertones of
feminist ideals have existed throughout, coming to the forefront only recently thanks to
advancements in media and education. Fatima Jinnah, for instance, fearlessly led thousands of
women to stand up for their well-being even before Pakistan was created. Soon after, Begum Ra’ana
Liaquat Ali Khan founded the All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) in 1949, aiming to further the
moral, social and economic standing of women across the country. Similarly, the Women’s Action
Forum (WMA) was established in September 1981, lobbying and advocating on behalf of women
without the resources to do it themselves.

However, the real wave of feminist struggle arose in 1980 as a reaction to General Zia-ul-Haq’s
controversial implementation of the Hudood Ordinance which asked rape victims to present four eye-
witnesses for their claim to be accepted. The WMA publically opposed the unjust rulings passed under
the bill, raising awareness. The forum included women from all spheres who spoke against the
government in the media, protested on the streets, conducted educational campaigns in schools and
devised the famous ‘Men, money, mullahs and military’ slogan.

Unsurprisingly, feminism gained most traction during Benazir Bhutto’s two terms as Prime Minister
(1988-1990 and 1993-1996), during which time NGOs and focus groups were given considerable
power and urge the government to make amends. Unfortunately, the momentum decreased once
Nawaz Sharif took office in 1997 and women found themselves losing ground to political conservatism
and religious revivalism, as indicated by Afiya Sherbano in her study on the History of Pakistani
Feminism (2009). In 1997, the Council of Islamic Ideology recommended making burqa mandatory and
honour killings also rose to new highs. Some lost ground was reclaimed when General Pervez
Musharraf rallied for women’s rights and encouraged their involvement in media, sports and other
socio-political activities. The movement has continued to this day, albeit with lesser intensity than
before. Together, the WMA has successfully enabled many women-friendly bills such as the Criminal
Law Amendment Act (2004), the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill, the Criminal Acid Act, Protection of
Women Act, Status of Women Bill and sundry regulations condemning honour killings and other vices
faced by women in Pakistani society.

In an article published in the New York Times, writer Bina Shah argues that, “A feminist movement can
only succeed when it mirrors the makeup of the women and the society for whom it operates.
”Perhaps if more Pakistani women sought inspiration from these great achievements in feminist

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COMEX’ COMPETITIVE NOTES Gender Studies |
by Mr. Abdul Nabi Soomro - IRS
history, the position they held in society would be much higher and Pakistan would not be ranked
amongst the worst countries for women to live in. A proponent of secular feminism, Bina argues that
secular feminism is more democratic scope and resonates with the pluralistic feminist movement
worldwide, as opposed to being restricted to just Pakistan and Islam. “Pakistan needs a feminism that
elegantly marries both strands of feminism, secular and Islamic,” she says. – “That is how Pakistan was
formed- on both Islamic and secular principles.”

However, much like everything else, equal rights for women are impossible without stringent political
support and when that is not met, feminists need to take matters into their own hands. “While the
space for women in nationalist politics was always small, the space for feminist politics in Pakistan is
almost non-existent,” explains writer Madihah Akhtar in her article on Feminists in Pakistan.
“Feminists, of both the secular and Islamic flavours, have to be content with voicing their opinions
through non-governmental organisations and in academia, both in Pakistan and abroad.”

Perhaps secular feminism is the answer to rectifying Pakistan’s image before the world. Women’s
rights may be misunderstood, under-represented and disregarded in Pakistan but they are by no
means absent. Our people need to be informed that feminism does not mean being anti-male or anti-
Islamic. Those rallying for women rights need to be clearer and more united in their stand and find a
workable balance between what is right and what we know. The message of feminism does not signify
that women should in any way be superior, nor does it call for immoral and anti-religious practices. It
simply strives to make the lives of women across the world a lot easier than they are used to.

Did You Know: One of the first Pakistani feminists was actually a man from Lollywood?
Comedian and director, Rangeela, was the first Pakistani to publically express his concerns regarding
the treatment of women in Pakistan and support the liberation movement of the 1970s. He did so via
a film called Aurat Raaj which he directed, produced and even acted in. Released in 1979, the film
depicted the story of a housewife who stands up against her chauvinist husband and goes on to form
a political party for women across the country, eventually becoming the national leader.
Unfortunately, it didn’t fare well at the box office although it is still considered to have been well
ahead its time and a commendable effort on Rangeela’s part.

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