Journalists, politicians, religious scholars and civilians alike began to decode and debate Islamic concepts and practices, perhaps in an attempt to justify what had happened. This gave way to many misconceptions and stereotypes regarding the religion. Out of the countless false notions that sprung up, the idea of the ‘victimized 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 victimized 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. (Mehreen Ovais, Feminism in Pakistan: A brief history)
Ever since its independence, in Pakistan, women 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 internalize 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. (Mehreen Ovais, Feminism in Pakistan: A brief history)
Feminism has been alive in Pakistan since the country was born. During partition of the British Indian Empire in 1947, a Women’s Relief Committee, which oversaw refugee transfers between India and Pakistan, was founded by Fatima Jinnah, the sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s founding father. Then Begum Ra’ana Liaqat Ali, the wife of Pakistan’s first prime minister, founded the All-Pakistan Women’s Association in 1949; that organization worked for the moral, social and economic welfare of Pakistani women. Ms. Jinnah ran in the presidential elections in 1965 and was even supported by orthodox religious parties, but lost to the dictator then holding the office, Gen. Ayub Khan. (Bina Shah, The Fate of Feminism in Pakistan)
In the 1980s, the Women’s Action Forum used activism to oppose General Zia’s myopic vision of Islam; today, Pakistani feminist collectives continue to protest violence against women, raise awareness about women’s education and political and legal rights, and lobby policy makers to enact women-friendly laws. The groundbreaking Repeal of Hudood Ordinance, the women’s empowerment bill and anti-honor-killings bill were all moved in Parliament when Sherry Rehman, a former ambassador to the United States and a renowned feminist, held the portfolio of minister for women’s development in the last decade. These and the anti-sexual-harassment bill were all eventually codified in Pakistani law over the next several years. (Bina Shah, The Fate of Feminism in Pakistan)
On Feb. 12, 1983, 200 women — activists and lawyers — marched to the Lahore High Court to petition against a law that would have made a man’s testimony in court worth that of two women. The Pakistani dictator Gen. Muhammad Zia ul-Haq had already promulgated the infamous Hudood Ordinance, which reflected his extremist vision of Islam and Islamic law. Now, it was clear to many Pakistani women that the military regime was manipulating Islam to rob them of their rights. (Bina Shah, The Fate of Feminism in Pakistan)
There are two dominant threads of feminist discourse in Pakistan: a modern, Islamic feminism and a secular feminism. (Mehreen Ovais, Feminism in Pakistan: A brief history) But many Pakistanis cling to the idea that feminism is not relevant to Pakistan — that it’s the preserve of the rich and idle or, worse, that it’s a Western imposition meant to wreak havoc on Pakistani society. Many Pakistani men and women believe that women’s rights need go no further than improvements Islam brought to the status of women in tribal Arabia in the seventh century. Men in Pakistan are not yet ready to give up their male privilege, and many Pakistani women, not wanting to rock the boat, agree with them. The Pakistani historian Ayesha Jalal calls it the “convenience of subservience” when elite and upper-class women marginalize women’s movements in order to maintain their own privilege. (Bina Shah, The Fate of Feminism in Pakistan)
Yet secular feminism has a more democratic scope; its proponents agitate for the rights of all women in Pakistan, non-Muslim as well as Muslim. It links to other feminist movements worldwide, not just Islamic ones, and is more pluralistic. By appealing to secular nationalism as well as Islamic modernism, it is not restrained by the need to base all thought in Islamic scripture, although secular feminists also use this powerful tool when necessary. (Bina Shah, The Fate of Feminism in Pakistan)
A feminist movement can succeed only when it mirrors the makeup of the women and the society for whom it operates. Pakistan needs a feminism that elegantly marries both strands of feminism — secular and Islamic — because that’s how Pakistan was formed: on both Islamic and secular principles. (Bina Shah, The Fate of Feminism in Pakistan)
About the video:
“This short clip about The Fatima Jinnah Women University can play a pivotal role in dismantling the stereotypical image of Pakistani women in the West. Ms. Lee is doing a very important work of highlighting heterogeneity of Pakistani women which is otherwise suppressed by the corporate run global media.
“Her choice of [visiting] Fatima Jinnah Women University for this documentary is significant in many ways — the name of the university commemorates Pakistani national legend Dr. Fatima Jinnah who fought the war of independence during the pre- and post-independence period in 1947 along with male freedom fighters. She is a symbol of bravery and courage for women of Pakistan. Furthermore, the university is exclusively for women where women are learning to work in different fields of knowledge. This university is one of many examples which show that Pakistani women are not always the victims; many of them are strong enough to take decisions of their lives by themselves.
“I agree with Maria binte Safi that Pakistani women have become conscious of their rights now and they are taking steps to protect their rights. They are not only becoming bold and confident by the university education but now they are also well informed. I would like to add here that Pakistan women owe a lot to Western feminism for their emancipatory efforts, as well as the space which they have been able to create for themselves in the society. Though as Pakistani women our social contexts are different from women of other countries, still we all share experience of marginalization and social oppression” – Rubia Akram (Jennifer Hall Lee, Pakistani Women Say Their Feminism is Different, But Not Worse)
My Overall Opinion
As much as Islam has a heavy influence on Pakistani laws (which shows equality between men and women), the whole basis of these laws and teachings have been thrown out the window. It has become socially acceptable to treat women as inferior to men. Women have been fighting since the beginning of Pakistan’s young history to have the same basic rights as men. Women have become so down trotted by their social position that they accept the abuse and turn their eyes away from the reality that’s happening in front of them. There have been many feminists from Pakistan that have paved the way for Pakistani women to have more social, educational, and work opportunities and push further for equal rights. However, as long as feminism is being ignored in Pakistan, it makes things more difficult for women to gain their rights. It is important to have allies that help push for more social and economic equality for women.
Works Cited
http://tribune.com.pk/story/764036/feminism-in-pakistan-a-brief-history/
http://www.the-broad-side.com/pakistani-women-say-their-feminism-is-different-but-not-worse
The women of Pakistan 
I really liked your conclusion to this post, “Pakistan needs a feminism that elegantly marries both strands of feminism — secular and Islamic — because that’s how Pakistan was formed: on both Islamic and secular principles.”. This is a succinct way of stating the middle ground which Pakistan should realize in order to satisfy its traditions while also moving its country forward to modern day. Many countries suffer the dilemma of remaining true to all their ancient traditions or adapting to the current times. I think that by neglecting to acknowledge the fact that the world is constantly changing, these countries hinder their chances of success on so many levels. For example, their international relations suffer, their economies weaken because they do not use every resource available to them (women and men), and they send their governments into decline. For example, the law which made one man’s testimony worth that of two women is a prime example of the corruption that ensues within a society run by an unequal government. The feminists in Pakistan may be fighting an uphill battle but they are on the right track to change their society. Institutions like the Fatima Jinnah Women University are vital to the education of the generation of warrior women who will change their society someday.
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It is interesting since the independence of Pakistan, women have fighting for educational, social, and employment opportunities. However, based on the evidence provided, NGOs whom are helping oppressed women are accused of misleading and ‘brainwashing’ these women. Additionally, many people do not want westerners help because they want to keep their traditional values. It seems that it socially acceptable for women to be inferior to men in that country.
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This was a very well organized blog post. It was nice to read different section that made understanding the main point of feminism in Pakistan a bit more clear. In the first section you ended with how feminism is often regarded as unnecessary, I never thought of it in these words but I can see why certain societies use their male driven ideal and would refer to women movements to be unnecessary. I really enjoyed how you were able to find clear distinctions between the Islamic and more secular (Western) feminism within Pakistan. This was something that I had to infer a bit about when researching about my own blog on Bahrain because I was unable to find explicit distinctions in the female agenda. Something that I added to my blog this week similarly to yours was a video. I understand the importance of learning about the women that are in the forefront of the movement, but it is also wonderful to see regular women, living their lives and making an impact nonetheless. Lastly, the final section of your blog titled, “My Overall Opinion” was a nice way to conclude your research, it definitely made it more personal to read that at the end. Great Job!
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