THE MANIFESTO

The Student Feminist Federation Pakistan
Manifesto


Our Philosophy

• We believe that it is essential for the life of any free, healthy and just society to have its females active, respected, effective and affluent in every domain of life,
  Whether it is the social, political, economic or religious.
  
  
  
• We believe that self expression, self development and self actualization are basic human goals that are essential for happiness and health and should not be subject to, or have to be compromised due to gender, as we feel is the case in our country.
  
  
  
• We believe that all social/moral philosophies and ideologies built upon the rationalization or spiritualization of the inequality of the sexes is essentially flawed, obsolete and a fallacy, and without this realization no real progress can be made.
  
  
  
• We believe that the female has contributed or potentially can contribute to society as much as males can and possibly in the same way that males do, and that the distribution of social roles and responsibilities should not be made on the basis of gender but ability.
  
  
• We believe that the institution of motherhood has been exploited and used by the patriarchal structure and agencies of our society to hinder female progress and justify female oppression and strengthen male oriented
  And male dominated social dynamics.
  
  
  
• We believe that the institution of religion has been exploited, misinterpreted and abused by the patriarchal structure and agencies of our society to hinder female progress, to justify and spiritualize female oppression and build a social hierarchy that is unnatural, unhealthy and illogical.
  
  
  
• We believe that any sort of injustice to females
  ( domestic violence, marital rape, sexual harassment, denial of basic rights etc) due to their gender and their weak social position is completely intolerable and unacceptable and should heavily condemned and taken legal and social action against.
  
  
  Our Aims
  
  
• We are looking to educate and enlighten females (initially), especially the student populations about the basics of productive feminism, its philosophical roots, its practical aspects and why it is the only way forward for females.
  
  
  
• We are looking to deconstruct:
  i) Patriarchal thought patterns and consciousness in females.
  ii) Male-centric orientation, objectives and vision of life.
  
  
  
• We are looking to build in the female student population an understanding of what female empowerment really is, and what the spirit of female emancipation requires in order to be manifest.
  
  
  
• We are looking to organize the female student population and motivate it towards initiative in female activism and to work in junction with other organization working for female rights and the feminist agenda in general, such as The Working Women Organization Pakistan.
  
  
  
• All in all The Student Feminist Federation Pakistan will be a platform for the student population to come together and celebrate, communicate and organize itself in order to work for female interests in Pakistan.
  

Our Activities

• We shall be conducting seminars and study circles in academic institutions through out Pakistan, regarding the basics of productive feminism.
  
  
  
• We shall be working with other organizations that are working for female emancipation and empowerment in Pakistan, especially for the lower socio-economic classes.
  
  
  
• We shall be organizing student festivals and workshops involving art, music, literature, sports and culture in context with the feminist agenda and working to increase female contribution and initiative in these areas.
  
  
  
• We shall be publishing ( as soon as it is possible) a magazine or review, which will be a platform for female thoughts, ideas and opinions regarding culture, politics, literature, art, religion, social issues etc. to be voiced candidly.
  
  
  
  
  Note from the president
  
  
  Although it has been more than two thousand years since Aristotle the philosopher remarked that:
  “A woman is an incomplete man”, Traces of such irrational and scientifically obsolete chauvinistic prejudice still remain in our society in subtler and sometimes direct forms.
  I initially wanted to work with men, regarding their attitude, perception and understanding of women. But due to closer observation, analysis and interaction with females, I realized that the matter could not be solved unless a realization and internal change did not occur inside the female psyche first.
  Although I believe that a lot has to be done in order to make significant changes, yet every large scale reform has to begin with small scale activism. It is harder and less effective to work with adult females, who have spent their lives in cultural and social patriarchy and most of whom are so immune and some times even convinced of a male-centric world and ideology that they consider female activism “morally” incorrect. This is the main reason I feel it is important to start with the student population, who in the near future shall be responsible for social reconstruction and will hopefully make this society a more liberated, enlightened and just country to live in for females.
  
  -- Umer Ismail --