Ladies First, Gents Go To Hell: A Backlash of Western Feminism in Pakistan

Abstract

The original intent of the feminist movement in America and Europe was to give men and women the same rights. In Pakistani culture and norms, women are already treated with respect. But when Western feminism spread to Pakistan, women started to assert themselves because they felt they had the full backing of Western nations, the media, NGOs, the amended legislation, and elite groups in society. They continued to abuse cultural norms under the guise of feminism to call for supremacy over males rather than equality. Rights for women should be granted, but not at the expense of rights for men or at abuse of cultural norms. Using observation as a descriptive research method of various phenomena, I argue that Pakistani society has been negatively impacted by Western feminism and that women are now seeking supremacy rather than equality. In the end, I offer a reconciliatory solution for the dual conflict of women's rights with men’s rights on one side and cultural norms on the other.