Women of Pakistan: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back?

This is the story of Pakistani women's determined resistance to the growing restrictions imposed upon them by the Zia Government's Islamization programme. The authors raise basic questions that women—both in Pakistan and other Muslim countries—must answer if their nascent movements are to take root and effectively challenge the existing patriarchal structures. It is the first history of Pakistani women's struggles for their rights in the 20th century, tracing from the Education Reform Movement around 1900 to the campaigns led by the Women's Action Forum and other organizations, and places their struggle in the context of the country's troubled politics and the specific role of Islam.