Women and protest politics in pakistan

WOMEN AND PROTEST POLITICS IN PAKISTAN The article asks how fragility and conflict shape contentious politics and create opportunities for women’s social and political action CONTENTS *

Abstract * Citation * Link ABSTRACT This article draws on qualitative research on 5 different gendered contentions in Pakistan: a feminist mobilisation, a protest against child sexual abuse,

a workers’ mobilisation for greater employment benefits, an ethno-religious minority community’s demand for protection from sectarian attacks, and an ethno-nationalist mobilisation for

post-conflict security and greater rights. All our cases of contention are based on claims the state has repeatedly failed to address. The article asks how fragility and conflict shape

contentious politics and create opportunities for women’s social and political action. Why do women act collectively and engage in protests and what are their leadership strategies? What do

these strategies tell us about the goals of these contentions and the women who lead them? We argue protests function as part of a broader repertoire of strategies to maximise women’s voice

and impact in a constrained context. Protest strategies are complemented by advocacy with government, court petitions, engagement with formal politics, and alliance with feminist leaders.

Some women leaders strategically traverse the divide between contentious and formal politics, and use their feminist voices to amplifying protest claims and mobilise support. Leaders

generate support for each other’s contentions, believing their goals are linked. The positive impacts include the enhanced effectiveness of some protest leaders, improvements in state

accountability, widening of feminist discourse, and activists’ empowerment as actors in the public domain. Gains remain uncertain in the long term due to shrinking civic spaces, gendered

barriers to political inclusion, and increasing backlash. This work is part of the Action for Empowerment and Accountability (A4EA) Research programme CITATION Khan, A.; Jawed A. and Qidwai,

K. (2021) Women and Protest Politics in Pakistan, Gender & Development, 29:2-3, 391-410, DOI: 10.1080/13552074.2021.1981623 LINK Women and Protest Politics in Pakistan UPDATES TO THIS

PAGE Published 27 January 2022 Contents