The politics of space and the creation of the third: A study of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus in Pakistan

This study is concerned with the creation of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus in Pakistan and their work with the Domestic Violence (2012) and Protection Against Harassment at the Workplace Bills (2010). The body of literature on third world feminism, feminism in relation to Islam and the state...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Kalhoro, Sanam Ali
Format Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Published ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2014
Subjects
Criminology
Middle Eastern Studies
Public administration
Womens studies
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Summary:This study is concerned with the creation of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus in Pakistan and their work with the Domestic Violence (2012) and Protection Against Harassment at the Workplace Bills (2010). The body of literature on third world feminism, feminism in relation to Islam and the state, and theories of the "third space" are the theoretical underpinnings for this research. I assert that the political history of Pakistan has created three categories of strict binaries for women. The primary binary is that of the public and private which explores the binaries between Islam and secularization, and modernization and cultural authenticity. I believe that each binary represents a space and that women have become symbolic representations of these spaces. The creation of these binaries is what has fueled women's movements and activism in Pakistan. It is because of these binaries that women have sought a third space from where they can seek justice within the legal framework of Pakistan which heavily discriminates against women through patriarchal practices and patriarchal interpretations of the Quran. Theories of third space from cultural studies, geography, and feminism are operationalized in the Pakistani context, specifically to the Women's Parliamentary Caucus. This research offers an analysis of the aforementioned bills which explores how the Caucus is challenging established norms of space through legal measures. The reason why these two bills are of such importance is because they challenge the three categories of binaries explored in this research. I argue that the Women's Parliamentary Caucus acts as a third space for female politicians to challenge these binaries.
ISBN:9781321411195
1321411197