Daily Times

In the recent decade, the feminist movements have caught their momentums, in third world countries; where the social status of the woman has historically been undermined by a rigid kind of patriarchy. On one hand, the phenomena like globalization, technological and social-media revolutions have played a vital role, in the “woman-awakening” while, on the other hand, the continued economic hurdles: high inflation, increasing unemployment, poverty, and ignorance has put the woman in a more vulnerable position to a traditionally rigid, but equally competing man—in a situation of survival of the fittest. Resultantly, the traditional societies are transformed into a kind of archeo-modern ones; locking the society within the conservative and traditional norms through economic hardships, but a more enlightened, but frustrated, woman vigorously kicking the doors.

Ironically, the socially liberated and financially stable bunch of women, elite-feminists, pushed even further to acquire the same patriarchal perks and privileges which were considered to be the very hurdles for gender equality. These absolutist chunks, from women, depicted man, regardless of his class, socio-economic, regional and intellectual conditions, as the sole enemy of women; making the situation more about sexes then Gender— embarking a ruthless antagonism among the genders. Albeit, as a Biological being man and women are two opposite genders, but they are identical living entities, nevertheless, each equally important for other’s survival and the continuation of the Human race.

Then comes the real issue, the subjugation of women by the hands of a fellow man, in what we called a patriarchal society. To understand the issue, we need to consider it on economic terms.

Historically, in the hunting age, it was man, as compared to women, who gathered foods for the family; afterward his social status—derived from his economic muscles— heightened, but at the same time, women were also playing her indirect, but essential, role in the production, by continuously giving births to new members of the family. However, through his direct involvement, in the production, the was able to depict himself as the sole custodian of both family and women. Subsequently, creating a patriarchal mindset and subjugating the rights of women.

Likewise, in the agrarian age, man controlled the agriculture and woman; the household. Yet, the same mindset prevailed throughout the age. In feudalism, the lands’ ownership was only entitled to the male heirs, simultaneously undermining woman’s equal rights as an equal being and neglecting her overall contributions to the family. Later, during the industrial revolution and the era following it, the same feudal lords—men landowners— transformed themselves into industrialists.
However, the French Revolution with its slogans of liberty, equality,and fraternity was a ray of hope to bring-in the equal rights for everyone, inhabiting, in the society. Europe underwent through the processes, of industrialisation and urbanisation, which perished the traditional norms and prevailing order.

Gradually, with the advent of concept like, individualism, as basic tenet of the emerging urban culture, paved the way for equal rights. thus,  the independent working class striving to uplift their economic conditions regardless of their genders. As a result of some of the greatest developments like, industrialisation, urbanisation and technological revolution, the Europeans were able to put an end to the traditionally prevailing patriarchal mindset, to some extent.

On the contrary, in the of third world countries, the society is fragmented into multiple parts. Overshadowing all, the remote parts of the rural regions, the peripheries, where women are struggling to acquire the basic human rights, due to some of the inhumane traditional practices, like, honour-killing, wani, watta satta, depriving of property, education and voting rights and so on. Then comes the semi-urbanised regions, where there is compromised patriarchy, the women are provided with some of their rights like rights to education, voting and jobs—in some cases— but still under the strict supervision of man. Finally comes the urban one, where patriarchy has grown so old to compete with the rapidly growing and integrated popular culture, but still present in the minds as a nightmare. In these regions, the woman has acquired almost the same rights as man does—except a few. Consequently, feminism—the fourth-wave— becomes; a nightmare; an ordinary approach; an urgent need, across the regional divides, respectively.

For the economically poor and developing third world countries, the technological revolution is an alien phenomenon, while industrialisation has yet to come to perish the semi-feudal structure, and the gap between the urbanised, semi-urbanised and rurally divided regions need to be overcome by an equal distribution of the resources; the 4th wave of feminism is a misguided knock, on the wrong door, by the elite chunks of the pseudo-liberal women—seeking matriarchy in the wake of feminism. Such an approach could only instigate some of the urban women, from the upper class to attire themselves in the global popular culture, but it’s not going to win any rights for ‘depriving women’ of the third world countries.

In a nutshell, instead of applying the theories of the fourth-wave Feminism to an economically fragile and socially fragmented society, the third world countries, where the woman issues are varied across the dividing lines to be treated through different ways, a holistic approach is required to uplift the overall conditions of the society.

The writer is a graduate in the field of International Relations