Conundrum of Feminism

Mukhtar Kareem
Transformation is a desire for a change supported by a process to actualise the desired transformation. The process is fundamental to change. It is gradual and incremental. It is this that many contemporary movements overlook and neglect. These look for abrupt changes in the engrained cultural and religion values.

Consequently, they are regarded as rebellions against culture and religion and, therefore, are faced with stiff resistance. Of such movements, feminism is one.

Women enjoying privileged position, inherently freedom and earned justice, seems too erratic in their behaviour to bring out the desired change in orthodox societies which is a big mistake on their part.
No society outrightly rejects the rights to women and simultaneously, no society out rightly approves drastic changes in the behavior of its women. Most societies assume that they are providing adequate rights which feminists assumed are not sufficient to bring women equal to men.

Amidst these contradictions, women struggle to press forward. Instead, they end up isolating men who otherwise could be there allies to bring about the desired change.

Another mistake feminists are committing is of provoking the ingrained sentiments of orthodoxy. Their posters and placards give an impression of immodesty whereas it is not perhaps their intention. However, much of it is not palatable to conservative minds.

Feminists’ definition of immodesty is totally obscuring what philosophers call “cultural relativism”.  Instead of provoking sentiments, they should find solution to women problems within given cultures in which they desire to bring the change.

Moreover, the struggle for the women rights has to be reflective of challenges being experienced by women in any social and cultural setting. Any attempt to impose preconceived solutions not reflective of the women reality will fail to connect particularly with women from conservative cultural mindset.

Women in many underdeveloped countries are facing problems of right to education, finance, and decision making. The struggle for rights of women needs to be reflective of these anomalies in given society.

In a society like Pakistan, feminist lobbies tend be elitist of women already economically and socially independent and they do not generally connect with women from lower end of society.

For example, feminists in Pakistan really do have strategy to meaningfully engage and involve women in rural areas f example of interior Sindh and Balochistan etc. They muster people from Islamabad and Lahore where certain levels of freedom and right already exists. Therefore, their movement for rights of women is fails to make any significant impact on oppressed women.

There are many other problems of this nature that create hurdles for feminist to achieve their objectives. If feminists are really serious about welfare and well-being of women, they need to focus more on the problems women face instead of emphasising on things which are of no significance to ameliorate the status of women.

They need to enhance their access to oppressed women and educate them about their conditions and aspirations women should strive to achieve.

Otherwise, their efforts, even though it is appreciated by many people, continue to receive stiff resistance. Sometime, depiction and display of many pictures and slogans results into women losing rights to men.