Gender Studies

Outline

1. Queer Theory
Blurring of identity.
a) Queer: Odd with normal/dominant.
b) Rejects mainstream approach towards sexual identity and
its links with race disability and gender.
c) Outside ‘male/female, gay/straight’, there’s ‘Queer.’
d) Challenges heterosexuality’s construct as normal, plus how
media has restricted gay representation.
e) Judith Butler: Criticized sexual identity, concept of trans,
challenging remarks on transvestite.
f) Fluidity of gender.
g) Less privileged: Homosexuals.
h) Local Government Act, Section 28, UK: Advocation of
homosexuality.
i) Critique: Nussbum criticized that Butler’s Theory
emphasizes on bodily needs, not the rights of women.

2. Good Governance and Role of Women affecting the

Pakistan’s Democratic Governance System
a) Key elements of good governance.
b) Gender and governance.
c) Gender issues as a voter: Not knowing the power of vote,
distrust on state, volatile security situation.
d) Gender issues as a candidate: Security issues, campaigning
issues, campaigning expenses and funds, gender based
hate speeches & religious and societal constraints.
e) As a representative: Women in parliament – lack of
decision making (in world 22.1%), Maleeha Lodhi
(Pakistan’s representative in UN).
f) Impact of political quota: 22.8% national female
parliamentarian, in world 10 women as state head and 9
 women as government head, 68.3% in the House in
Rwanda, 17.5% in National Assembly.

3. Basic Concepts
a) Gender and sex. Sex: biological, gender: socially
constructed.
b) One isn’t born a woman, but becomes one.
c) Feminism:
- Equality.
d) Patriarchy: Male dominated.
e) Dichotomy: Two parallel things cannot be separated from
each other.
f) Difference between gender studies and women studies:
- Woman studies talks about: Issues of women, focus on
feminist researchers, rights and welfare & equal
opportunities. Focus on subjective.
- Gender Studies: equal grounds for all, access of
information, access of resources. Focus on both
objective and subjective.
g) Challenges: GDI (less female literacy rate), employment
sector (informal sector for women e.g. knitting and all),
discriminatory law (Hudood ordiance, property law and
evidence law), challenges the traditional knowledge,
western influence, less accepting by people & clergy
(mullahs).
h) Multi dimensional subject.

4. Feminism and its Waves

a) 1st Wave – Liberal (Mary Walstone Craft)
b) 2nd Wave – Radical (E.W. Harpner)
c) 3rd Wave – Post Modern (Elizabeth Candy)

a) Liberal Feminism: (Early 19th century)

- Liberation from slavery (sufferogist movement).
- Basic rights and different department.
 - Changes in equality ‘within the structure.’
- Intellectual ability of both gender are same.
- Demanding of same civil, economic, educational
opportunities in order to develop moral and rational
capacity.
- 2 critiques: i) Communitarian ii) Socialist.

b) Radical Feminism: (20th century)

- Slogan: Personal is political.
- Abolition of male supremacy.
- Sisterhood concept.
- Hatred towards men.
- 2 types of radical feminism: i) Libertarian (Women
should use her body for blackmailing the men, do not
reproduce or marry & supported lesbianism) & ii)
Cultural (if biology cause of oppression then use it as a
tool, reproduction and marriage is a gift to society and
society should provide higher value to feminity).
- Critiques: Ignorance of class differences, ignored
economic social-disability causing woman oppression &
differences in the interpretation of oppression.

c) Post Modern: (21st century)

- Young generation.
- Movement on trans.
- LGBT.
- Priority to your preference.
- Michael Focoult: male to female interaction with no
restrictions, unintentional gender (however one wants
to dress or whatever).
- Hellon Cixous: issues in knowledge formation,
researches on women by men, no woman as historian,
marginalized woman from writing, Tafseer-e-Quraan by
Fatima Nargisi and Asma Barlas only.
 - Judith Butler: criticized sexual identity, concept of trans,
challenging remarks on transvestite.
- Critique: philosophical (Michael Focoult’s interaction
philosophy), confusing and complex (Hellon Cixous says
no women writer but claims women live in fantacy),
Nussbum criticized that Butler’s Theory emphasizes on
bodily needs, not the rights of women.

5. Gender Based Violence

a) Article 1 UN Declaration: Discusses about physical, sexual
or psychological harm to woman.
Article 2 UN Declaration: Same declaration, with 3 levels:
[Note: Physical (P), Psychological (P) & Sexual (S)]
- Family: Dowry death (P), childhood/early marriages
(PSP), forced marriages (Ethiopia & Turkey), female
infanticide (PP), forced labor (prostitution), incest (PSP),
marital rape, son preference, wife inheritance, woman
battering, Naka (forcing woman to marry several times
for sake of property).
- Community: Forced feeding (Africa & Middle East),
Honor Killing, neck imprisoned rings, lip plate, polygamy
(HIV), Satti (woman burned with dead husband), Trokosi
(Nigeria, Ghana), Devdasi (sacrificing female for a God),
abduction, woman trafficking, sexual harassment.
- State: In prisons, situations during armed conflict,
population control policies, state specific laws (Hudood
ordinance, Qiyas, Diyat).

b) 3 causes of violence:
- Power relations.
- Honor associated to woman.
- Insistence on controlling woman’s sexuality.

c) Micro Oriented theories:

 1) Social Learning theory: Family level. Learn
helplessness, survivorship.
2) Psychopathology: There is always a reason for
violence, personality disorder, mental illness.
3) Biological theory: Neurological factor, man is
aggressive, female is submissive.
4) Exchange theory: Community level. For the cause of
reward and punishment.
5) Resource theory: Community level. Maintain power
relation (patriarchy), aggressive behavior to maintain
power.

d) Macro Oriented theories:

1) Feminist theory: Patriarchy, gender roles, socialization.
2) Family violence perspective: Nature of family structure
(joint and nuclear).
3) Cultural acceptance of violence: promotion of violence
with the help of some medium (media and ad) &
acceptance and promotion (media portray).
4) Stress theory: Violence due to stress situation.

e) Multi Dimensional theories:

1) Male-peer support model: Patriarchal model,
support/reinforce violent acts.
2) Social-etiological model: Exploitation, oppression, gain
and regain of power.
3) Ecological Model: Bronferner Benner’s Model talks
about (i) Individual (identification of birth), (ii)
Microsystem (through family and environment), (iii)
Meso (at educational level), (iv) Exo (employment,
making of laws and policies) & (v) Macro (cultural norms
and societal attitude).

f) Strategies to eliminate gender based violence:

- Reforms in schooling.
 - Socialization (family affects).
- Religious interpretation.
- Media role.
- Role of lawmaker.
- Monitoring and accountability.

6. Colonialism
a) Behavior with female:
- Used as a sex tool.
- System of hierarchy (women isolated of tech and ideas).
- System of knowledge (Western system bases of
knowledge).
- Cultural system (Western self-perception was superior).
- Capitalism (glass-cei).

b) Modernization theory:
- Traditional societies: Male domination, authoritative.
- Modern societies: Democratic, egalitarian (both
patriarchal and matriarchal).
Modernity: (i) Standard of living of poor is improved. (ii)
Equal knowledge transferring rate. (iii) Access to new
technology.

c) Dependency theory:
- Relations of developed and developing countries.
- Sharing of equal resources.
- Sharing of tech from developed to developing.
- Developing starts from basic needs (periphery to core).

d) Structural Functionalism:
- Small institutes must work together for developing
purpose.
- Norms, customs, traditions, institute should move in
same direction for development.
- Social order and social institutions must be developed.
7. UN Conference on Women
a) Introduction:
- Integration of women into mainstream.
- 4 conferences: (i) Conference on Women, Mexico 1975.
(ii) Conference on Women, Copenhagen 1980. (iii)
Conference on Women, Nairobi 1985. (iv) Conference
on Women, Beijing 1995 (Beijing Platform of Action).

b) Purpose of conferences:
- Political, economic, civil, social and educational rights.

c) Beijing Platform of Action:

- Follow up of above mentioned actions took place.
- 17000 participants, 6000 government delegation, 4000
accredited NGO representatives and 4000 media
representatives.
- Issues that were discussed: (i) Women in poverty. (ii)
Great methodology and conduction of research. (iii)
Education and training of women. (iv) Women and
health. (v) Violence against women. (vi) Women and
economy. (vii) Human rights of women. (vii) Women
and media. (viii) Women and environment. (ix) Girl child
(under 15, diet, child marriages).

8. Feminist Movement in Pakistan

a) Colonialism Nationalist Liberals 1888:
- Movement against conservative approach.
- Idea against anti-Islam.
- Protest of Muslim females, 1937:
(i) Dissolution of Muslim marriage act 1939. (ii) Right of
Khula.

b) Guardians and War Act, 1860:

- Amendment of this act were done in 1937.
 - Rapes during war were allowd.

c) APWA (All Pakistan Women Association) 1949:

- Begum Liaqat Ali Khan.
- Health, education and family laws.
- Welfare and social reforms in above mentioned.

d) Business and Professional Women’s Club:

- Begum Liaqat Ali Khan.
- Rights of working women in professional life.
- Centers: Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Pindi.

e) Family Planning Association.

f) Child Welfare Council.
g) Pakistan Red Cross.
h) Pakistan Nurses Federation.
i) Girls Guide Association.
j) Domestic Woman Association (Political participation of
women).
k) International Women’s Club.
l) The Rose Wife’s Association.
m)Young Women’s Christian Association, 1899:
- Facilitation of shelter and hostels for working women.
- Secretarial and office administration (training of
women).
n) United front for women rights, 1955:
- Banned in Zia’s regime.
- Active again in BB’s regime.
- Banned in Nawaz Sharif’s regime.
- Worked for the political participation of women.

9. Status of Woman in Pakistan

a) Health Factors:
- Infant and child mortality.
- Nutrition deficiencies.
 - Child marriages and babies from these girls.
- Excessive and frequent pregnancies.
- Lack of awareness towards reproductive issues.
- TB, diarrhea, pneumonia, tetanus.
- Death rates: (i) Infant mortality 53.9/1000. (ii) Maternal
mortality 276/100000.
- Pakistan’s death rates: (i) Male infant mortality 57/1000
live births. (ii) Female infant mortality 50.6/1000 live
births.
- Factors influencing women’s health in Pakistan:
(i) Use of contraceptive. (ii) Illiteracy and lack of
knowledge. (iii) Poor access to quality healthcare. (iv)
Females are not interested in discussing their health
issues.

b) Educational Issues:
- Gender biased selection of courses.
- Access to education.
- Curriculum.
- 69% males are literate.
- 45% females are literate.
- 57% male, 43% female enrolment (primary level).
- 59% male, 41% female enrolment (middle level).
- 50% male, 50% female at higher level.
- 39% male, 61% female at degree level.
- 62% male, 38% female vocational training level.
- 66% male, 34% female teachers in schools.
- Factors influencing educational problems:
(i) Policy Level. (ii) Budgeting issues (2.5% budget for
education). (iii) Institutional issues (gender biased
teaching). (iv) Programmatic issues (gender biased
curriculum, shortage of female teachers, distant
schools, lack of gender sensitive monitoring and
evaluation). (v) Outcome issues (gender gap in
enrolment and in dropout).
 - National and international commitment towards
education: (i) Article 25(a) – 16 year education. (ii)
National educational policy. (iii) National policy for
development and empowerment of women. (iv)
National commitment (MTDF: Medium Term
Development framework). (v) International
commitment [PFA: Education For All, goal number 4 in
SDG (quality education), Beijing Platform of Action,
CEDAW (Convention of Elimination of All types of
discrimination against Women).

10. Marxism Socialist Feminism

a) Economic oppression:
- Capitalism promotes hierarchies and surplus values.
- Capitalism ignores intelligence.
- It creates par relations.
- Power promotion.

b) Class oppression:
- Difference between capital and labor (capital luxurious
and labor non-luxurious).
- No class of woman between the fight of capital and
labor.
- Woman status is subject to status of her man: husband
or father.

c) Alienation:
- Transfer of ownership that leaves behind the person
who’s responsible for good results (example of a factory
and its labors).
- Alienation from labor: Not provided by their goals or
profit.
- Alienation from nature: Environment for labor i.e.
chemicals, machines etc.
 - Alienation from humans: Competition to take good
incentives i.e. human is against human.
- Alienation from themselves: Workers become robots.
Psychological frustration.
- Alienation for females: Division of public and private,
capital wants from their women to manage households
in their absence, according to Marxist private
atmosphere is best for women, if there is a need of
women in public atmosphere then there will be some
conditions (they’ll be given cheap labor and perform like
man in public also). Household work shouldn’t depend
on satisfaction of family members because of the
difficulties she has to face in public – relation should be
given. Facilitating both spheres could get hectic.
d) Difference between private and public sphere:
a. Private:
i. Household activities with no labor.
ii. Has to produce children.
iii. Family members’ satisfaction.
b. Public:
i. Less labor.
ii. Has to perform like man.
iii. Capital satisfaction.
e) Critiques on Marxist theory:
i. Ideal theory which can’t be implemented.
ii. Labor – equal profit sharing – not possible.
iii. Classless society – not possible.
iv. No hierarchical society – not possible.
v. Economic depression ending can’t end social
inequalities, so both must be eliminated for
peace – Juliet Mitchell.

11. Psychoanalytical Feminism:

- This theory was against Sigmund Freud’s theory and was
presented by Juliet Mitchell and Jaqueline.
 - Sigmund Freud’s Theory:
a) Man has an inherent nature to oppress women.
b) This is due to early childhood development.
c) Father is aggressive, mother is submissive.
d) Son and daughter learn it that way as well.
e) Son is attached with mother, and daughter with
father.
f) When adopting behavior and to idealize – then
opposite. Son idealized father, daughter idealizes
mother.
g) Masculinity gratification: Men is gratified. Women,
even if they work like men, aren’t gratified. Men
gratify each other, while women don’t.
h) Critiques on Masculinity Gratification:
i. Emotions and subjectivity.
ii. Lack of total subordination.

12. Autonomy vs Integration

- Autonomous
o Women studies is different in aims and objectives
with reference to other subjects
o Adding women in different disciplines is not
enough
o Knowledge is androcentric so gender studies must
be autonomous
o Traditional knowledge cannot cover the actual
concept of gender studies in integrated approach
o Mary Ruth Warner – advocated autonomous
gender studies without patriarchal interference
o SIROW – South West Institute of Research on
Women – supported autonomous POV because
women studies is in danger in class of non-feminist
o Integration of women studies lack research in
women studies
 o In integrated approach, mainstream knowledge of
gender studies will become invisible or less
important
- Integration
o Methods of transferring knowledge and seeking of
knowledge should be changed
o Gender studies could be integrated but the point
of autonomy could be added into it as knowledge
is androcentric – Montana University
o Dignity and equality of women should be the
upper root of aim – women college in Colombia
o The approach towards integration by Whealon
College Massachusetts

13. WID WAD GAD

- Women in Development
a) Modernization theory.
b) Women development emerged in early 1970s
c) Laborer feminists introduced the term
d) Integration into economic system through legal and
administration sys
e) Need to emphasize productive role of female
f) Missing points in WID or criticism on WID:
a. Gave rise to WAD

- Women and Development

a) Mid of 1970s
b) Dependency theory – critique on modernization
c) There is a need to see woman role in development
process
d) Woman role and its relation to social culture
e) Societies should be equitable for the sake of
development
 f) WID was focused on problems that were dependent
on men i.e. same education, same privileges etc. –
WAD criticized this point of WID
- Gender and development
a) Replacement of WID
b) Structural functionalism – need to identify gender
issues
c) Looked into the women holistic perspective
d) Need to define gender roles
e) They challenged the socially constructed thoughts for
female
f) Equal and legal rights for men
g) Solidarity of women

14. Men’s Feminism

- Feminism talks and enforces equality and justice on
equitable grounds. Men and women are equally
harmed by sexism. Hence, if feminism disagrees with
the discriminatory behaviour of men against women
and raise their voice against this, in the similar way
they also welcome a group of men who are
suppressed, oppressed and marginalized from the
capital system, household restriction or due to ethnic,
race conflicts.
- If feminism advocates the acceptance female into the
mainstream in the way they are feminist also promote
and advocate the inclusion of men with sensitive or
delicate personalities, there are men being
marginalized by the economic system, this brand of
feminism welcomes and encourages and also raise
their voice for those oppressing class of men.
- Men’s feminism also talks about unpacking of
masculinities, and says that there exist multiple
masculinities as not all men are cruel and aggressive,
not all men consider women vulnerable, and not all men
 has patriarchal mind-set or androcentric approach
towards the roles and responsibilities being practiced in
the society by both men and women.

15. Concepts
a) Dichotomy
b) Consciousness Raising
c) Domestic division of labor
d) Essentialism
e) Feminism
f) Social construction
g) Public and Private
h) Andro-centrism
i) Sexual contract & Socialization
j) Patriarchy
k) Matrilineal
l) Polygamy
m) Egalitarian

16. Cast Studies