Perception and Practices of Organizations Engaged in Women Empowerment in Pakistan: An Analysis In Light of Iqbal's Philosophy of Self-Development

Abstract

Women's empowerment within Pakistan is a multifaceted sociocultural challenge characterized by deeply rooted gender norms and cultural conventions that hinder women's advancement and autonomy. Despite the proliferation of numerous women empowerment organizations in Pakistan since its inception, there remains a deficiency in a unified and substantial conceptual framework and system for women empowerment that aligns with the country's ideological fabric. To have a meaningful and accepted impact within a particular society and culture, any social phenomenon must be grounded in a sound philosophical foundation drawn from the cultural context where the work is to be undertaken. Given this cultural contextual imperative, in this study, I draw on the philosophy of ‘Khudi’ by Allama Iqbal, a prominent Muslim philosopher, to explore the concept and practices of women empowerment in Pakistan. In this research, a sample of four organizations located in Islamabad was chosen. These organizations include the Pakistan Girl Guides Association, All Pakistan Women's Association, Social Welfare Section (Gender Unit), and an organization referred to as Organization X (pseudonym). Adopting an ethnographic approach, the study explored the contemporary perceptions and practices of these organizations dedicated to women empowerment in Pakistan. Iqbal's philosophy serves as a fitting foundation for an indigenous examination of women empowerment. Methodologically, the study was divided into two phases. The initial phase entailed an ethnographic exploration of the participant four organizations in Islamabad with a focus on comprehending their perceptions and practices in women empowerment domain. In the second phase, to elucidate the Pakistani religious and cultural concept of women empowerment, Iqbal’s notion of Khudi (self) was deployed to conceptualize the findings sorted out from the data collected from Islamabad and thematically analyzed. Ultimately, this research juxtaposed the perceptions and practices of the respondent organizations in light of Iqbal's outlined framework for women empowerment. The findings indicated that these organizations’ envisioned goals primarily centered on self-development, economic empowerment, and the provision of a secure environment for women's advancement. Yet, the women working there were ambivalent regarding the ideological and conceptual sources of their perceptions and practices and the desire to develop and prosper. This ambivalence was largely due to the colonial and modern secular narratives that create dissonance between the local cultural imperatives and the womenfolk. Under this ideologically ambivalence condition, Iqbal’s notion of Khudi provides an indigenous alternative, rather an antidote to the secular liberal colonization of women’s agency. Further exploration of operational aspects of Iqbal’s philosophy of Khudi as relevant to women empowerment needs to be done to develop it into a pragmatic model. This research has underscored the need for organizations to adopt a comprehensive, culturally sensitive, and theoretically informed approach to women empowerment. Such an ideological incorporation might generate a long-lasting impact in the efforts built to enhance women empowerment at the organizational levels.