The New Waves of Feminism and Our Culture

CSS 2019 Solved Essay | The New Waves of Feminism and Our Culture

Muhammad Sohail, a Sir Syed Kazim Ali student, has attempted the CSS 2019 Solved Essay “The New Waves of Feminism and Our Culture” on the given pattern, which Sir Syed Kazim Ali teaches his students. Sir Syed Kazim Ali has been Pakistan’s top English writing and CSS, PMS essay and precis coach with the highest success rate of his students. The essay is uploaded to help other competitive aspirants learn and practice essay writing techniques and patterns to qualify for the essay paper.

Outline

1-Introduction 

While the new waves of feminism, bolstered by the internet, have significantly encouraged freedom for women around the world, they have negatively impacted Pakistani culture, being accused of promoting Westernization, potentially hindering progress towards a more equitable society.

2-Understanding Feminism 

3-Understanding Pakistani Culture  

4-Current overview of the new wave of feminism in Pakistan  

5-How have the new waves of feminism negatively impacted Pakistani cultural norms? 

• Defying Patriarchy 
  • Argument: Feminism in Pakistan is questioning male chauvinism, which defies the deep-rooted patriarchal culture.  
    • Evidence: Digital activism in the form of Twitter hashtags like #MeToo and #Mera Jism Meri Marzi has called for Bodily autonomy and denounced the patriarchy.     
• Westernizing the Indigenous culture  
  • Argument: The 4^th wave of feminism, coupled with globalization, is shrinking the boundaries between Western and local culture. 
    • Evidence: Concepts like bodily autonomy, sexual freedom, and LGBTQ rights are Western in essence, which is ruining the local family structure and cultural values. 
• Promoting vulgarity  
  • Argument: The conservative section of society is critiquing the new wave of feminism as a tool to promote vulgarity in disguise of women’s empowerment.  
    • Evidence: Facebook groups like Soul Sisters Pakistan and Women’s Collective Pakistan are accused of their immodest content and discourses, especially in the promotion of divorce and deluding women from heterosexual marriages.     
• Supporting LGBTQ  
  • Argument: The new waves of feminism are extending beyond women’s empowerment to the rights of new socially constructed concepts of genders in the form of LGBTQ that are in direct contradiction to the local cultural norms.  
    • Evidence: Aurat march in Pakistan is a staunch advocate for LGBTQ in public marches, inciting sentiments of the conservative sections in the society.  
• Weaponizing Aurat Card 
  • Argument: The unreasonable spike in using Aurat Card to level baseless allegations of harassment against their political or professional rivals has vandalized the respect and dignity promised by our culture to both genders. 
    • Evidence: The case of Meesha Shafi alleging her colleague Ali Zafar of sexual harassment was dismissed in 2020 by the Lahore High Court, facing wide criticism from the media and the public on her unreasonable use of the Aurat card.   
• Celebrating divorce rate 
  • Argument: Feminists promoting divorce as a remedy to all the ills of women are undermining the institution of family as well the ideals of family cohesion, patience and compromise detailed in our culture.  
    • Evidence: Many legitimate divorce cases, such as Fatima Sohail and Mohsin Abbas Haider, exemplified the promotion of divorce as a remedy to domestic abuses, had spiked the divorce rate by 30% in 2020-2021, according to the Tribune.  
• Seeking abortion rights  
  • Argument: Feminists in Pakistan advocating for the Western concept of abortion rights face criticism from religious groups and civil society alike, as their stance is perceived to be against religious beliefs and local cultural values.
    • Evidence:  Maulana Fazlur Rehman has publicly opposed the Western concept of abortion rights, stating such practices as against Islamic values and cultural traditions and has called for the protection of the unborn as part of the moral and religious duty of society.

6-On what grounds do opponents argue that the new wave of feminism has strengthened the Pakistani culture in a positive way?

• Counter argument: The new waves of feminism in Pakistan have highlighted the domestic violence of women, inequality and disparity in education, which has sensitized the public and brought a positive change to the local culture.  
  • Rebuttal: The new waves of feminism are not advocating for core issues of women stretching in the socio-economic and political domains; instead, its focus has narrowed down to personal autonomy, which operates against the local culture.   
• Counter argument: Feminism has spread awareness among the public to respect the dignity and personal freedom of women, reinforcing the ideals of local culture with the contemporary needs of society 
  • Rebuttal: Feminists have challenged the traditional institution of the family in favour of personal freedom and criticized the alliance of marriage by labelling it as oppressive, which contradicts social and cultural norms.  

6-How to mitigate the negative impacts?

• The new waves of feminism must not overlook the cultural constraints.
• Feminists must engage with religious scholars on sensitive issues before taking any course of action.
• Feminists must collaborate with men to prioritize female education and eradicate domestic violence.

7-Conclusion 

For centuries, women have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of subjugation and discrimination across various aspects of life. This resilience has led to the emergence of numerous feminist movements advocating for their rights. These movements have highlighted the injustices women endure in the socio-economic and political spheres, aiming to dismantle systemic barriers. However, the path towards achieving these goals can be complex, particularly in societies with deeply ingrained cultural norms. In Pakistan, the rise of new waves of feminism, with their emphasis on individual rights and dismantling patriarchal structures, has sparked a vital conversation about gender equality. Moreover, these waves of feminism have undoubtedly negatively impacted Pakistani cultural norms by challenging traditional gender roles, undermining family structures, and promoting individualism and Westernization over collectivism, which has led to social fragmentation and cultural dissonance. For instance, during the 2020 Aurat March, feminists confronted Pakistan’s longstanding patriarchal norms, advocating for bodily autonomy and openly discussing Western concepts such as LGBTQ rights in public forums and on social media. Therefore, the new waves of feminism in Pakistan are no more than a clash between Western and local cultures. 

Before moving towards the current overview, it is imperative to understand the term ‘Feminism’. It is a belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes in every stage of the society. The term “Feminism” was coined in 1837 by the French utopian philosopher and radical socialist Charles Fourier (1772-1837) to indicate “The illness of womanly qualities appearing in men.” Further, it is a broader term used for the cultural phenomena associated with women’s oppression by the patriarchy. It first originated in Europe and America, spreading to other parts of the world in the 20th century. Feminists at first started their resistance against the fundamental social, economic, and political inequalities, but over time, they evolved their objectives; likewise, in some countries, they worked against forced marriage, female infanticide, wearing veils in public atmosphere, and widow burning. This evolution in feminism with the elapsed of time is called ‘waves’.   

Furthermore, Pakistan, taking its cultural roots from the ancient Indus Valley civilization, is patriarchal in its form and nature. The basic family structure includes a male, usually the oldest among others, as the leader of the family, making important decisions and is responsible for the bread and butter of the members; the females subordinate to males are responsible for the chores of the household as well fulfilling the duties of wife and mother. The urban middle class and rural regions observe the practice of keeping women in seclusion (purdah) with a modest dress code covering the full body, which is mandatory for women in public places to ensure respect and dignity of women. Overall, conservative in nature, the culture of Pakistan is further influenced by strict religious principles, segregating it from Western or other cultures.   

In the contemporary era, the new waves of feminism are about the modern feminist movements that aim to empower women globally, especially using the internet and digital activism. In 2012, a tragic event sparked the beginning of the 4th wave of feminism, and in Pakistan, it gained attention in 2018 with the ‘Aurat March’. This movement faced opposition from conservative groups. However, social media has been crucial in spreading feminist ideas and connecting like-minded people. A research article called ‘Social Media and Perception of Feminism’ supports using digital activism as an effective tool. Further, many Twitter campaigns have also helped women in Pakistan share their experiences of harassment anonymously. Nowadays, feminist ideas are also spread through literature, art, music, and films, shedding light on cultural issues.

In the first place, feminism in Pakistan is questioning male chauvinism, which defies the deep-rooted patriarchal culture. Indeed, feminists strive for equality of both genders, disregarding the man’s control over women’s choices in what to wear or who to marry as an exploitation of women’s physical self. Consequently, women in the recent waves of feminism have denounced the superiority claimed by men over them and asked for self-control over their bodies, refusing patriarchy to be the dictator in their life choices. For instance, through digital activism in the form of Twitter hashtags #MeToo and #Mera Jism Meri Marzi, women protested the exploitation. They claimed bodily autonomy against man’s control, expressing their apathy towards the century-old system of patriarchy. Similarly, the placards hoisted in Aurat in March 2020 rejected the patriarchal and gendered division of labour. Thus, the new waves of feminism are more against male dominance than the actual issues of women in Pakistan. 

Similarly, the 4th wave of feminism and globalization is shrinking the boundaries between Western and local cultures. One of the critical features of the 4th wave of feminism is the utilization of the internet and social media in the communication and propagation of ideologies. However, the doctrine that feminists cultivate in the minds of youth is incompatible with local culture. To end this, feminist movements in Pakistan are at times alleged to engage in cultural imperialism by promoting Western values under the guise of women’s empowerment. In fact, concepts like bodily autonomy, sexual freedom, and LGBTQ rights are Western, which is ruining the local family structure and cultural values in Pakistan. Thus, to address the genuine issues of women in socio-economic spheres, feminists must focus on the intricacies of local culture instead of imposing foreign culture. 

Moreover, the conservative section of society is critiquing the new waves of feminism as a tool to promote vulgarity in disguise of women’s empowerment. It is evident that feminism in the 21st century has narrowed down the concept of women’s empowerment to personal liberty with the exemption of all social, moral or cultural modesty. While exposing the heinous crimes committed against women and demanding justice for the victims of rape, domestic violence, and marital abuse, feminists often exclude themselves from their cultural modesty and are accused of crossing the line from seeking justice to engaging in vulgarity. In Pakistan, for instance, facebook groups like Soul Sisters Pakistan and Women’s Collective Pakistan meant to help victims of domestic violence and marital abuse, are accused of their immodest content and discourses, especially in the promotion of divorce and in deluding women from heterosexual marriages. Quite so, the participants openly share marriage intimacies with the public, which must have been limited to one’s bedroom. Therefore, new waves of feminism with the use of the internet have provided uncensored access to the promotion and advertisement of vulgar content against the cultural norms of Pakistan.  

Furthermore, the new waves of feminism in Pakistan are extending beyond women’s empowerment to the rights of the socially constructed concept of LGBTQ. The West meticulously orchestrates these social concepts of genders to impose on local cultures under the veil of women empowerment. Specifically, in Pakistani culture, advocating for the rights of third gender is viewed with a critical eye, let alone introducing the Westernized concepts of LGBTQ. Meanwhile, the Aurat March in 2020 openly manifested their support in favour of LGBTQ, inciting sentiments of the conservative sections of society. Furthermore, coordinated propaganda for the acceptance of LGBTQ rights through electronic media and social media was arranged at length at that time. However, civil society promptly opposed such alteration to social and cultural norms and pressured the feminist circles to withdraw from such demands. Therefore, new waves of feminism in Pakistan have lost their focus from women’s empowerment to the Western agenda of cultural imperialism.  

Additionally, the unreasonable spike in using Aurat Card to level some baseless allegations of harassment against their political or professional rivals has vandalized the respect and dignity of men that is promised by the country’s culture to both genders. Feminist, on the one hand, empowers women through gender equality, but at the same time, accept women as the weaker gender and ask for privileged treatment over the opposite. However, to gain selfish objectives, women sometimes exploit this special treatment and use it as a weapon to drag their rivals into derogatory claims of sexual harassment. A prime example of this is the case of singer Meesha Shafi, who alleged her colleague Ali Zafar of sexual harassment in 2018. Failure to substantiate the case was dismissed in 2020 by Lahore High Court. She faced wide criticism from the media and the public for her unreasonable use of the Aurat card to achieve some wicked desires. Thus, the new waves of feminism have encouraged women to weaponize the Aurat cards to seek sympathy, draw undue attention to their issues, or gain favour in social and professional settings. 

Similarly, feminists are promoting divorce as a remedy to all the ills of women. They are undermining the institution of family and the ideals of family cohesion, patience and compromise detailed in our culture. Struggling marriages with chances of betterment are provoked to take extreme measures of divorce that have not only spiked the rate of divorce but have also caused unrepairable damage to the genuine cases of violence and sexual abuse. To quote an example, many divorce cases, such as Fatima Sohail and Mohsin Abbas Haider (2020), exemplified the promotion of divorce as the only remedy to domestic abuses and led to a spike in the divorce rate by 30% in 2020-2021 says Tribune. Today, this situation is direr, and in pursuit of personal freedom, both genders are suffering from loneliness and family cohesion. Hence, the institution of marriage, a distinguished feature of the Eastern family system and Pakistani culture, is undermined by Western agendas of feminism.  

Moving further, feminists in Pakistan who advocate for the Western concept of abortion rights face criticism from civil society as their stance is perceived to be against religious beliefs and local cultural values. In Pakistan, people argue that a fetus is a person from the moment of conception. Abortion is, therefore, morally equivalent to murder, and the inherent right to life of the fetus supersedes the woman’s right to bodily autonomy. The leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), a major religious and political party in Pakistan, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has publicly opposed the Western concept of abortion rights, stating such practices are against Islamic values and cultural traditions and has called for the protection of the unborn as part of the moral and religious duty of society. Many in civil society consider abortion rights as against the sanctity of motherhood and thus must not be demanded in the streets.

On the other hand, intellectuals argue that the new waves of feminism in Pakistan have highlighted the domestic violence of women, inequality, and disparity in education, which has sensitized the public and brought a positive change to the local culture. In fact, legislation like Zainab Alert, Anti-Rape legislation, and the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act were passed in Parliament because of the pressure exerted by feminist movements. However, it is also a fact that the new waves of feminism are not advocating for core issues of women stretching in the socio-economic and political domains. Instead, its focus has narrowed to personal autonomy, which operates against the local culture. Their objectives are of Western origin. Their home countries have already closed the gap of gender equality. Still Pakistan has yet to achieve the targets set by the 2nd and 3rd wave of feminism, let alone the new demands of contemporary feminism. For example, the new waves of feminism in the country are advocating for bodily autonomy instead of accomplishing the primary demand of gender equality, which is before the exercise and sustenance of bodily autonomy. Again, feminists in Pakistan are in a hurry to secure rights ahead of their demands. In a nutshell, feminism in the past might have succeeded in ensuring women’s rights, but the present waves of feminism are not aligned with the time’s or culture’s requirements.  

Similarly, feminism has spread awareness among the public to respect women’s dignity and personal freedom, reinforcing the ideals of local culture with the contemporary needs of society. Today, women can voice their concerns and exercise their choice in decisions on socio-economic matters. Similarly, her dignity, irrespective of her social or religious standing, is protected by legal frameworks envisioned in the constitution through their longing for political efforts. However, women may have had personal freedom, but their scepticism against men’s oppression has disturbed the sacred relations of marriage and family. Today, Feminists have challenged the traditional institution of the family in favour of personal freedom and criticized the alliance of marriage by labelling it as oppressive, which contradicts social and cultural norms. In Aurat March 2020, controversial slogans like “Apna Khana Khud Garam Karo” depicted an attack on the institution of marriage and clearly illustrated the choices feminists made under the garb of personal freedom. Therefore, the new waves of Feminism may have brought some positive change, but the negative impacts on Indigenous cannot be denied.  

However, the new waves of feminism must not overlook the cultural constraints. A direct opposition to social and cultural norms would bear no success. Understanding and respecting deep-rooted cultural and religious values would result in more inclusive and constructive solutions for the oppressed gender. Likewise, in Pakistan, the perception of feminism as a Western agenda can effectively be countered by aligning the arguments with social norms. By incorporating cultural sensitivities, the movement can be advertised as a part of the community’s fabric rather than an external imposition, thus fostering acceptance and driving meaningful change.

Adding more to it, feminists must engage with religious scholars on sensitive issues before taking any course of action. By collaborating with progressive scholars, feminists can gain authoritative voices that support women’s rights within an Islamic framework. The anti-Islamic and pro-western allegations can also be countered by presenting feminist ideals that are compatible with Islamic teachings. This approach can help to mitigate resistance from conservative factions and build broader support for feminist initiatives.

Finally, feminists must collaborate with men to prioritize female education and eradicate domestic violence. Working in alliance with men would challenge the traditional gender roles more effectively, closing the gap towards a more equitable society. Further, joint initiatives can focus on raising awareness about the importance of educating girls, highlighting its benefits for families and the broader community. Additionally, instead of taking divorce as the ultimate solution to domestic violence, a collaborative effort in understanding the sensitivities of the institution of marriage and a combined initiative to spread awareness in combating domestic violence can be developed. Such a progressive approach would help promote healthier and non-violent conflict resolution.

In conclusion, despite highlighting crucial issues like domestic violence and educational disparity, the new waves of feminism in Pakistan risk and alienate the public by clashing with deeply ingrained cultural norms. Their emphasis on Western concepts like LGBTQ rights and individual autonomy, often conveyed through social media activism, is perceived as cultural imperialism. A more effective approach would prioritize core issues like education and economic opportunities while remaining sensitive to cultural values. Likewise, collaboration with religious scholars and men can foster broader support and create context-specific solutions. Ultimately, Pakistani feminism must find a way to empower women while respecting the cultural fabric of the society it seeks to improve.

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