Feminism without fear

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Who taught you feminism? How come you are a feminist and so soft-spoken? Why should your sister or friend act like you and become a stigma? Why are you anti-men? Have you ever tried to be pretty instead of brainy and see how you get success effortlessly? Why are you so emotional, Madam?

These questions, spoken and unspoken, have rebounded throughout different phases of my life, and I know I am not alone. Dr Nawal Saadi, Kamla Bhasin, Amrita Pritam, Sara Shagufta, Dr Marie Curie, Dr Maya Angelou, and countless other women - hundreds or even thousands - who may or may not be seen or celebrated as feminists, have faced such interrogations, whether in formal settings or as casual gestures, throughout their lifetimes, within business systems, and across societies.

Gender equality lies not in tokenism but in structural reforms challenging the status quo. The excess of deceit in politics and the social development sector globally are the greatest hurdles in addressing not only women's autonomy but also the rights of all marginalised communities. Thrashing technically endorsed patriarchal structures within financial institutions and fostering an ecosystem where women-led, community-led, and minority-led enterprises can thrive is still a demand that is raised and largely goes unheard.

I recall that in one of my earliest endeavours from 2000 to 2007, I acted on an opportunity to establish a concept shop in Islamabad's most expensive business plaza. That 'shop for a cause' offered a unique model locally, aiming to bypass exploitative intermediaries and directly benefit small, aspiring entrepreneurs, mostly women, across Pakistan. I observed that these efforts clashed with those who were more focused on preserving their clout than uplifting community creativities. Despite its impact, it was short-lived, like many of my platforms, erased for reasons too daring to document. The blues from these losses pales against the joy of taking risks and making personal and professional sacrifices to pave the way for millions of girls and women. Initiatives like the Gallery exemplify empowering women through direct market access and supporting grassroots entrepreneurs. Such models disrupt existing power dynamics. Transforming outcomes can be achieved without transactions and taking credits, yet I caution younger individuals, especially women, as this path demands extraordinary endurance. The corporatisation of women's empowerment has ominously fallen into the hands of profit-driven men and patriarchal women alike. Gender-responsive budgeting and community-centric financial models remain buzzwords rather than lived realities. The bitter truth is that most leadership positions pivotal to translating women's empowerment into reality are occupied by men, with few women having no actual grassroots connections and solely focused on enhancing their CVs and self-interests.

The continuation of the harsher and higher burdens of biases against women and the balance and blame by women should be unacceptable. Despite suffering from a bigger burden of disease, they continue to be relegated in medicine - excluded from clinical trials, overlooked in research, and pushed to the margins of professional pathways. Medical studies overwhelmingly focus on male physiology, leaving women misdiagnosed and underserved. While conducting a gender analysis of export sectors, including surgical goods, I found out that most surgical instruments are designed for men's hands, making it harder for women surgeons to operate with the same ease. Due to the normalisation of these structural chauvinisms they are rarely questioned. Internalised sexism too, among women prevails, pitting them against each other. Any woman who speaks out instantly becomes dangerous, morally weak, and a badass. Behave and be beautiful, otherwise, you are a witch, vamp, etc - the choices remain largely unchanged, even as women break glass ceilings and leave sticky floors. Women continue to face abuse in bedrooms, boardrooms and barracks; they are not safe, even in their graves.

Women's brilliance and labour have long been essential to the fabric of society, yet they are still boxed into limiting archetypes. It is time to break free from this carapace. The world still operates as a masculine and elite project, where every system - from charity to business, from conflict to peace - is designed to cater to male comfort and consumption, aligning with established power structures. Feminists across different waves and origins have tirelessly voiced these truths, celebrating victories and enduring setbacks. Despite their resilience, dismantling patriarchy, according to UN estimates, may still require another 300 years. While this disheartening timeline persists, speaking out and marching for our rights remains inevitable.

It is also vital to remember that women are not a homogeneous group. An intersectional approach must be at the centre of our work. It is time to question the approach of many elite feminists as well. Deep-rooted patriarchal mindsets and dynastic control in women's rights activism must be abhorred. How many of them have created leaders from communities and classes different from their own? How many of them sponsor and mentor women without privileges? The most disadvantaged among us must organise and mobilise to demolish these exclusionary narratives - not through empty words, but through tangible actions that prioritise inclusivity and empower women in all their complexities. The path ahead is testing, but defiance and solidarity can create the spaces for real, meaningful change - without relying on a patriarchal moral compass. As we keep pushing for gender equality and economic justice, let us raise the voices of those deliberately kept at the margins. We must keep repeating - again and again - the brutal stats on gender-based violence, unjust pay gaps, the untold battles of single mothers, and the feminisation of poverty, because the world still refuses to listen. We must insist on an all-inclusive fearless feminism.

For how much longer will Women's Days - be it our national Women's Day on 12th February, International Women's Day on 8th March, or the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November–10 December) - remain trapped by patriarchal consensus? How much longer will even highly educated women remain silenced and their stories filtered and processed by the privileged few, only to reinforce existing inequalities?