FEMINISM

“ISRAR AHAMD”
The author is a young student of Department of Political Science, University of Peshawar

Feminism is the belief at women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. It is the belief in
social, political and economic equality of the sexes .As the abstraction, feminism is an ideology. As the
Aim of feminism is to established and depend for equal political of gender double standards. Women
have their own social rights as men do, they are not have to stay out home and clean house, they can go
to work they can have the education, they can be accepted and supported by their coworkers and
families and they can get important social roles as the men do .The goal of feminism is to treat women
in equality. Feminism is one of the basic movement for human liberty. A feminist role in society is to
actively recognized the need of a movement which intends the enlighten people with a goal of
improving gender equality and strengthening women’s status in the society.
Feminism is generally regarded as unnecessary a construct of the west which deserves no importance in
the Islamic structure. Feminism “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 relationship
between men and women and also who want to change it.
FEMINISM AND PAKISTAN

In Pakistan feminism is a complete myth. Since its independence Pakistan have been battling
exploitative treatment at the hands of their male counterpart-the social political and economic
environment making it difficult for women to progress and fight for their rights . There has almost
always been some backlash against women, who wish to empower themselves.NGOs and other
organizations that work to help oppressed women are accused of misleading and “Brainwashing” them.

THREADS OF FEMINIST DISCOURSE IN PAKISTAN

There are actually two threads of feminist discourse in Pakistan
1. Modern Islamic Feminism
2. Secular Feminism

Modern Islamic feminists such as Riffat Hasan, Amina Wadud and Asma Barlas seek to further women
rights by redefining and reviewing the Islamic views and opinions and focusing on Female-Centered law.
Secular feminists like Shahnaz Rouse, Gulalai Ismail and fauzia saeed consider feminism as an extension
of basic human rights regardless of any religious connotation.
Unfortunately what most people fail to realize that feminism in Pakistan is not entirely a novel concept,
nor is it anti-Islamic.
Islam was the first religion that formally grant women a status they had not enjoyed before and taught
morals, spiritual, and economic equality. There are a lots of countless quotes from A ’hadith, Quran and
Muslim scholars promotes women’s rights regarding different of life, including education, marriage and
divorce.
SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF PAKISTANI FEMINISTS IN HISTORY

 The role of Fatima Jinnah and Begum Rana liaqat Ali Khan as a women leader and the
foundation of APWA in 1949,respectively were aiming to further the morals ,social and
economic standing of women across the country
 Women Action Forum “WMA” was established in Sept, 1981.
 The wave of feminist struggle evident in 1980 as a reaction to General Zia’s controversial
implementation of “Hudood Ordinance” which asked raped victims to present four-eye witnessed
for their claim to be accepted.
 Feminism gain most power during BB’s two term as PM of Pakistan (1988-1990,1993-1996)
during which time the NGO’s and other social welfare organization were given considerable
power and argue the government to make amends.
 The momentum decelerated in Nawaz Sharif era but restored back General Musharraf period.
 WMA has successfully enabled many women –friendly bills such as Criminal law, Amendment
act 2004, Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill and protection of women bill.
Actually secular feminism is more democratic scope and resonate with the pluralist feminism
movement, worldwide as opposed to being restricted to just Pakistan and Islam. Pakistan needs a
feminism that gracefully marries both strands of feminism “secular and Islamic”.
Feminists of both secular and Islamic flavor have to be content with voicing their opinion through non-
governmental organizations and in the academia both in Pakistan and abroad.Perhapes secular
feminism is the answer to ratifying Pakistan’s image before the world.
Women may be misunderstand, underrepresented and disregarded in Pakistan but they are by no mean
absent .We need to be informed that feminism does not mean being anti-male and anti-Islamic .Those
rallying for women rights needs to be clearer and more united in their stand.It must be noted that
feminism does not signify that women should in anyway be superior nor it demands for immoral and
anti-religious practices.

ISLAMIC SUPPROT OF FEMINSIM

 Islam embodies many of the principals that feminism fight for: equality, dignity and respect of
women .At the time it came into existence it was revolutionary for the rights that it gave to
women ,which had not been seen in any religion previously .
 Feminism is the mechanism by which I fight for the rights that have been taken away from her
by me in my country in the Islam. Examply, if Islam gives me the right to go to school patriarchy
in Pakistan guarantees that girls in my country don’t have access to safe school.Unfortunatly
man have concluded that in Muslim countries to keep women in vulnerable position in order to
strengthen their own sense of power. Feminism helps us to understand the power dynamics and
struggle for dismantling it.
 Feminism is a powerful movement but it has its limits .Islam doesn’t mandate the superiority of
one sex over the other but struggle to achieve balance between the sexes. But this “balance “in
Muslim countries is very different from what it like in European and American ones.

WHAT FEMINIST IS NOT

 Feminist are not man- haters. Feminism is not really about physique. It is about equality between
male and female in the eyes of law, government, state, society because females are spiritual,
moral, and intellectual equal to men.
 Feminist doesn’t revenge all the historical injustice but she wants to replace injustice by justice.
 Female should be included in all areas of life.
 Feminist may not be an atheist or western agent but she is threat to the established notorious
system because she wants to change the system because the system is a patrichial destructive
and notorious system.
WHAT FEMINIST IS
 Feminists wants equal rights for female.
 They should be treated equally by law.
 Contemporary world is imbalance .The role of female will bring out balance.
 Even males are feminists because the system dictates male and female by promoting war and
says that men should be soldiers.
 This system forces man to protect his honor and kill his sister.
 Feminists wants an end to gender discrimination because of their presence in all areas of life.

 “OBJECTION”

Anti-feminists says that why we adopt feminism although we have a complete set of rights for
women in Islam?
In reaction to this objection feminist in own support says that these all are only in theory .they have never
been admitted to practice For example in Upper Dir during the last election women were not permitted
to vote because it is against their traditions “they said”.
 Feminists demands an end to forced marriage which is against the Islamic principles. Regardless
of what Islam guaranteed us it is something opposite to it.
WHY FEMINISM
We feminists don’t wait for a man to grant them to us. We don’t sit comfortably in the knowledge that
Islam gave us our right. Islam may give us the moral certainty to go out and fight for our rights. But we
still have to fight for them.
Note that feminism is not a violent movement .Nobody has ever been killed by a feminist. But it is a strong
movement and it sees women as strong and capable human being. Domestic violence against women are
intensifying day by day in our country. We act in our society as if it is better for a women to be beggar,
always independent on handout from charity. Educating women is a productive addition to economy.
When a women gets education she will be capable of holding an office so earning will be made which is
positive increase in both women income and national economy .Nations having more privileges for
women are more strong economically .

WHY FEMINISM IS IMPORTANT

Pakistan is in the state of feminist emergency. We need feminism on emergence bases and it is because
of the higher ratio of violence against the women including harassments, abuses and other intra-gender
immoral activities. The worldwide figure of violence against women is 1 in 3 currently. In Pakistan it is
present even in high intensity be. According to human rights watch, between 70 to 90 percent of women
are suffered just because of their gender.
Violence against women can be shut down only when we make laws regarding women rights, gender
equality and gender discrimination. In this context feminists are successful in discussing this issues with
parliamentary committees and provincial assembly and are still doing much to secure women and raise
their standards regardless of their gender.