Diluting the patriarchal dominance: Review of Developing Feminist Discourse in Pakistani Context

Abstract

The present study is aimed to review of the development of feminist critical discourse in Pakistani context. It is considered that Pakistan is an Islamic country and there is a misperception in the Western world that women are oppressed in Pakistan on the name of Islam. This article provides a review of the dual version of female oppression in Pakistani context i.e. religious and cultural. The very first perception of women oppression in Pakistan by the western world is wrong as Pakistan as an Islamic ideological state does not oppress women rather guarantees their equal rights. In this regards there is a long list of legal development for the protection of the rights of women. The second kind of oppression is the cultural oppression against women. There are a lot of cultural practices in different regions of Pakistan which are oppressive towards women like Wata Sata, dowry death and forced marriages. The data for the present study has been reviewed as per available academic resources and research journals. The significance of the study is to counter western misunderstanding about the female oppression in Pakistani context. While at the same time the study is significant as it raises voice against the prevalent cultural practices of oppression against women in Pakistan. The findings of the present study reveal that there is a development of feminist critical discourse which is diluting the patriarchal dominance that is maintained through cultural practices in Pakistan.