I joined a socialist feminist organisation earlier this year. Having had this much time in Pakistan at a stretch, I was finally able to join one of the progressive movements I've been following online. I've participated in a few events as well as organising/administrative meetings.
Women's Democratic Front is a young organisation and, it was founded hardly a year or two ago. So, it is still in its infancy and, is looking to increase its membership and impact.
The founder of the group, Ismat Shahjahan, has been in politics for many years and, is also a leader in the Awami Workers Party. Awami Workers Party is apparently the only leftist party that acknowledges the feminist struggle. I met Ismat in F-10 Markaz last year during the elections campaigns. She ran as an AWP candidate in the national elections. I admired the courage and boldness of Ismat and, by following her online, got to know of AWP and WDF events and activities.
My first real contact with WDF this year was at an organising meeting for the Aurat Azadi March 2019. I had reached out to Ismat and, since she wasn't in town (she was in Sindh to participate in the March there), she told me to attend an organising meeting. I was very impressed at the meeting which had at least 20-25 women, not just from WDF but other groups too. It was overwhelming but also extremely impressive to see how much work and planning was involved in putting together the Aurat Azadi March which Pakistani patriarchy still can't get over.
Participating in the March was exhilarating and, had a raw, intense emotional current. It was a space and moment for women, by women.
After that, I attended a few protests where AWP, WDF and, other progressive participated. PPP's figures have also showed up at some of the protests. Turnout is minimal and, I get surprised each time at how few youngsters turn up. The Press Club started feeling like a small encampment of feeble resistance. Sitting on the ground listening to a passionate speech, surrounded by a handful of people, many of them familiar faces, surrounded by police officers (sometimes more than the protestors), I have wondered at the futility of it.
Because student unions were banned back in the 70s by the military regime, organised student politics and political expression was completely wiped out. The ground and space where politics and idealism should flourish was attacked and, although bans on student unions have been lifted, universities have been overtaken by right-wing groups. "Students become radicalised in Pakistani universities" someone told me recently when I spoke about how politically conscious and organised students were in London, during my own undergrad and grad years.
Secular and socialist politics has struggled to take root and, if students and youngsters are not exposed to secular and leftist ideas, where does that leave us?
Being a feminist organisation, WDF's challenges are staggering. Pakistan is a highly conservative society and, although privileged folks will tell you otherwise, it is shamefully one of the worst places to be a woman. I was recently preparing for a job interview in the UN system and, while familiarising myself with the numbers and stats, I was reminded again of how Pakistan is also just one of the worst places to be a human: we have "multi-dimensional poverty," hunger, malnutrition, and babies as young as 6 months old are stunted. It should not really be surprising that right-wing attitudes and ignorance reign supreme because how else can you explain such inequality? Someone is benefiting from this set up.
WDF, AWP and another student group (I forget the acronym) organise Study Circles as tools to educate themselves and the public on seminal political texts, theories, and concepts. Besides that, they also organise protests and marches. Social media is used extensively to announce events, record speeches, and share statements. WDF publishes an Urdu magazine. I can't read Urdu so I don't know what style or impact the publication has. It's a political group and, is organised with elected positions and, protocols. Many events and activities overlap with AWP and other groups and, WDF is making an effort to have visibility and identity.
What has impressed me the most is how dedicated and passionate the women are, especially the younger ones. A lot of hard work goes into the events and, everything is self-funded.
Being a socialist feminist group, WDF's challenge is to raise class consciousness from a feminist perspective. Somehow, good feminism is taken well by some polite and cultured Pakistani society: educate your daughters, let them work, have careers and, consider them as equal humans. However, not all polite and cultured folks might accord full personal liberties to their daughters and wives when it comes to dress, choice of marriage, and speaking up. And, for sure, no one is bothered about the plight of the working class women who toil in the fields, clean our homes and toilets, take care of our spoiled children, and so on. And, we certainly don't want to talk too loudly about sexual violence against women, honour killings. And, who dares to talk about the structures and powers that condone this system? The challenges that WDF faces are truly staggering.
While it is all good to think about the historical and material conditions which are responsible for the apathy amongst the public when it comes to issues of injustice, poverty and class inequality but on an individual level, how do you explain this apathy? How do you counter this apathy? I personally feel there is sense of fatality as well as entrenched faith-derived ideas that explain the lack of interest in secular politics, particularly leftist ideas. Being an Islamic country, there's a sense there are social solutions which faith has outlined which merely need to be implemented correctly. So, countering this ideology is going to be crucial.
Among other practical challenges that WDF faces they are:
- How do you bring more young women into your fold?
- Are men invited along, too ?
- What types of activities and events should be organised?
- Which public spaces are available to us?
- Where can we meet?
- What topic should we address in our Study Circles?
- Are we a movement ? Are we a feminist space?
There is a very strong intellectual lens and style through which the movement is being defined and moulded. There is also a sense that the Left needs to move beyond protest and translate its politics into action.
I imagine that WDF will somehow attract more women into its organisation but it will take time. The Aurat Azadi March seems to be a significant catalyst for bringing more and more women into the public space to raise their voices, frustrations and ideals. Most women who attend this March are of all stripes and hues, liberal feminists, faith-based feminists, not-even-feminists, etc. The challenge will be to harness this energy to push forward a socialist feminist cause which has a clearer agenda in terms of what it wants to achieve. Perhaps real tangible short-term goals like winning more legal/constitutional victories for domestic workers or victims of sexual violence could be a start.
Here's to imagining a just and bright future for Pakistani women and beyond.
The founder of the group, Ismat Shahjahan, has been in politics for many years and, is also a leader in the Awami Workers Party. Awami Workers Party is apparently the only leftist party that acknowledges the feminist struggle. I met Ismat in F-10 Markaz last year during the elections campaigns. She ran as an AWP candidate in the national elections. I admired the courage and boldness of Ismat and, by following her online, got to know of AWP and WDF events and activities.
My first real contact with WDF this year was at an organising meeting for the Aurat Azadi March 2019. I had reached out to Ismat and, since she wasn't in town (she was in Sindh to participate in the March there), she told me to attend an organising meeting. I was very impressed at the meeting which had at least 20-25 women, not just from WDF but other groups too. It was overwhelming but also extremely impressive to see how much work and planning was involved in putting together the Aurat Azadi March which Pakistani patriarchy still can't get over.
Participating in the March was exhilarating and, had a raw, intense emotional current. It was a space and moment for women, by women.
After that, I attended a few protests where AWP, WDF and, other progressive participated. PPP's figures have also showed up at some of the protests. Turnout is minimal and, I get surprised each time at how few youngsters turn up. The Press Club started feeling like a small encampment of feeble resistance. Sitting on the ground listening to a passionate speech, surrounded by a handful of people, many of them familiar faces, surrounded by police officers (sometimes more than the protestors), I have wondered at the futility of it.
Because student unions were banned back in the 70s by the military regime, organised student politics and political expression was completely wiped out. The ground and space where politics and idealism should flourish was attacked and, although bans on student unions have been lifted, universities have been overtaken by right-wing groups. "Students become radicalised in Pakistani universities" someone told me recently when I spoke about how politically conscious and organised students were in London, during my own undergrad and grad years.
Secular and socialist politics has struggled to take root and, if students and youngsters are not exposed to secular and leftist ideas, where does that leave us?
Being a feminist organisation, WDF's challenges are staggering. Pakistan is a highly conservative society and, although privileged folks will tell you otherwise, it is shamefully one of the worst places to be a woman. I was recently preparing for a job interview in the UN system and, while familiarising myself with the numbers and stats, I was reminded again of how Pakistan is also just one of the worst places to be a human: we have "multi-dimensional poverty," hunger, malnutrition, and babies as young as 6 months old are stunted. It should not really be surprising that right-wing attitudes and ignorance reign supreme because how else can you explain such inequality? Someone is benefiting from this set up.
WDF, AWP and another student group (I forget the acronym) organise Study Circles as tools to educate themselves and the public on seminal political texts, theories, and concepts. Besides that, they also organise protests and marches. Social media is used extensively to announce events, record speeches, and share statements. WDF publishes an Urdu magazine. I can't read Urdu so I don't know what style or impact the publication has. It's a political group and, is organised with elected positions and, protocols. Many events and activities overlap with AWP and other groups and, WDF is making an effort to have visibility and identity.
What has impressed me the most is how dedicated and passionate the women are, especially the younger ones. A lot of hard work goes into the events and, everything is self-funded.
Being a socialist feminist group, WDF's challenge is to raise class consciousness from a feminist perspective. Somehow, good feminism is taken well by some polite and cultured Pakistani society: educate your daughters, let them work, have careers and, consider them as equal humans. However, not all polite and cultured folks might accord full personal liberties to their daughters and wives when it comes to dress, choice of marriage, and speaking up. And, for sure, no one is bothered about the plight of the working class women who toil in the fields, clean our homes and toilets, take care of our spoiled children, and so on. And, we certainly don't want to talk too loudly about sexual violence against women, honour killings. And, who dares to talk about the structures and powers that condone this system? The challenges that WDF faces are truly staggering.
While it is all good to think about the historical and material conditions which are responsible for the apathy amongst the public when it comes to issues of injustice, poverty and class inequality but on an individual level, how do you explain this apathy? How do you counter this apathy? I personally feel there is sense of fatality as well as entrenched faith-derived ideas that explain the lack of interest in secular politics, particularly leftist ideas. Being an Islamic country, there's a sense there are social solutions which faith has outlined which merely need to be implemented correctly. So, countering this ideology is going to be crucial.
Among other practical challenges that WDF faces they are:
- How do you bring more young women into your fold?
- Are men invited along, too ?
- What types of activities and events should be organised?
- Which public spaces are available to us?
- Where can we meet?
- What topic should we address in our Study Circles?
- Are we a movement ? Are we a feminist space?
There is a very strong intellectual lens and style through which the movement is being defined and moulded. There is also a sense that the Left needs to move beyond protest and translate its politics into action.
I imagine that WDF will somehow attract more women into its organisation but it will take time. The Aurat Azadi March seems to be a significant catalyst for bringing more and more women into the public space to raise their voices, frustrations and ideals. Most women who attend this March are of all stripes and hues, liberal feminists, faith-based feminists, not-even-feminists, etc. The challenge will be to harness this energy to push forward a socialist feminist cause which has a clearer agenda in terms of what it wants to achieve. Perhaps real tangible short-term goals like winning more legal/constitutional victories for domestic workers or victims of sexual violence could be a start.
Here's to imagining a just and bright future for Pakistani women and beyond.
Brilliant article Farzana. I really like the way you have penned down your experience in WDF. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, comrade!
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