The ascendancy of aunts in Pakistani political arena

The ascendancy of aunts in Pakistani political arena

Stepping into the Political Arena: A New Generation of Pakistani Women

I grip Auntie Naz's hand tightly as we navigate through the bustling crowd of Islamabad. Our expedition from Lahore took us three and a half hours by car, but the main roads were closed upon reaching the capital, forcing us to march the remaining distance to the women's protest site. Auntie, a homemaker for over three decades, covers her nose and mouth with the end of her light green scarf, using it as a makeshift mask to avoid inhaling the smoke and dust.

Our friendship began in a Lahore neighborhood park, where our casual greetings and friendly waves eventually evolved into more profound conversations about family life, children, and the pandemic. I never imagined then that we'd be traveling cities and attending political rallies together just a few months later. Yet, here we are.

Initially, Auntie expressed disapproval of her daughters' support for feminist movements like #MeToo and the annual Aurat March. She thought such activities would complicate her daughters' lives after marriage. However, after walking for approximately half an hour and passing through security scanners at Parade Ground, we reach the congregation area filled with women dressed in red and green, waving party flags and singing festive songs.

These women, supporters of Prime Minister Imran Khan, have gathered here to protest against an expected vote of no confidence, a political event that would take place a few weeks later in April 2022. But, in March, there's an atmosphere of enthusiasm and anticipation as Khan descends from a helicopter to deliver his speech at the stage next to the women's reserved space.

Auntie turns to me excitedly, her light green scarf shielding her streaked blonde hair, and says, "Dekho aurton ki jagah sab se agay hai!" (Look, the women are right in front!)

POLITICAL EVOLUTION AMONG HIDDEN PLAYERS

As an anthropologist, I initially aimed to investigate the urban secular women's movement in Pakistan, focusing on their fight for access to public spaces. However, I soon discovered that conservative middle-class women like Auntie were increasingly participating in protests and rallies as supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Since 2013, Khan's populist movement has heavily relied on street protests, political rallies, and inter-city marches, with women forming an integral part of its support base.

I was curious about how Khan's populism had inspired Auntie and others like her to engage in politics for the first time in their lives.

Women's political involvement in Pakistan isn't unprecedented. In fact, women in British India actively participated in anti-colonial and independence movements even before the partition in 1947. They, along with post-independence women's rights activists, lobbied to repeal laws that discriminated against women. Pakistan became the first Muslim country to elect a female head of state, Benazir Bhutto, in 1988.

However, Auntie and her friends do not fit into these categories. While close in age and experience to the first generation of activists, their political and social leanings are differently aligned. Unlike their daughters, they do not participate or support feminist activism, despite voting consistently as their civic duty. Instead, they spent decades in private spaces, engaging in family care activities.

Everyday practices, like a walk in the park, can create possibilities for deeper political engagement.

Auntie and her group have been PTI supporters since Khan's election campaign in 2013. However, they avoided attending protests and rallies initially. During one of our walks, Auntie lamented, "Before my mother-in-law passed away, I wasn't even allowed to come to this park for a walk, let alone try to make friends in the neighborhood."

The pandemic changed that. Public parks became safe havens for people to socialize, and Auntie recognized her political potential while walking with her new friends.

SURROUNDED BY CONTROVERY, KHAN'S POPULISM

Since his rise to political prominence after the 2013 election campaign, Imran Khan has been a divisive figure in Pakistani politics. Khan, a former cricket player and philanthropist, appeals to his middle and working-class followers with an anti-corruption rhetoric, coupled with an emphasis on Islam and family values. His public speeches celebrate Islamic values, the centrality of family, and traditional gender roles, which resonate with women like Auntie. Khan's populist messages offer hope and validation to women who feel represented for the first time.

However, women's rights activists vehemently criticize Khan's populist agenda, labeling his messages about women's piety as misogynistic. They also point to his lack of support for real structural changes for women and gender minorities in Pakistan. Despite these criticisms, Khan remains popular among women like Auntie due to his inclusion of conservative women in the public sphere on their own terms.

CONSERVATIVE WOMEN AND THE GLOBAL TREND

Auntie and her neighbors are not well-versed in feminist theory or politics. They do not consider themselves feminists or activists. However, like their daughters, they too have political aspirations and desires, even if their motivations and objectives differ.

Auntie's political journey reflects a broader vision of social change: how daily practices can initiate deeper political engagement. Similar trends are evident among conservative women across the globe, even in the United States, where support for certain populist figures, like former President Donald Trump, has garnered significant support from women. Despite the contradictions and lack of real structural changes for women offered by such movements, conservative women continue to support populist leaders due to the sense of hope and political possibility they provide.

1. The anthropologist's research unveiled a new trend in Pakistani politics, as conservative middle-class women like Auntie, who traditionally retreated to private spaces, have been drawn towards political rallies and protests, thanks in part to Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its populist messages that strongly emphasize traditional gender roles.
2. Despite criticisms from women's rights activists who view Khan's populist agenda as misogynistic and lacking support for real structural changes for women, conservative women like Auntie are attracted to his messages because they resonate with the Islamic values, family centrality, and traditional gender roles he emphasizes.
3. The emerging political evolution among conservative women, such as Auntie, mirrors global trends, with similar shifts observed among women in the United States who have expressed support for populist figures like former President Donald Trump, due to the sense of hope and political possibility they present, even if the movements fail to deliver substantial structural changes for women.

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