Introduction

The term feminism is derived from the Latin word “femina,” which means woman. In the Urdu language, the word “taneesiyat” is commonly used as its equivalent. The Latin word femina, with slight variation, is used in both German and English with the same meaning, referring to woman or the female gender.

The Evolution of the Term “Feminism”:

The word feminism was introduced by the French philosopher and socialist Charles Fourier. It was formally entered into the Oxford Dictionary in 1852. By 1892, both terms—feminism and feminist—had gained currency not only in France but also in Switzerland and Belgium. On October 12, 1894, two years after the term came into common use, the English newspaper Daily News (London) reported that the word feminist had been included in the Oxford Dictionary. By 1895, the term feminism began to be used formally to denote a movement and an ideology.

Alternative Terms for Feminism:

Feminism is an English term for which various expressions and interpretations are used in the Urdu language. These may be regarded as alternative words or terms for feminism. In Urdu, expressions such as taneesiyat, niswaniyat, gender equality, and women’s rights are commonly used to convey the concept of feminism. At the popular level, the terms women’s rights and gender equality are more widely prevalent. In addition, other expressions such as women’s movement, women’s liberation, and similar terms are also used.

Woman :

In the movement for women’s rights that emerged from the Western context, even the original meaning and concept of woman has been affected. As a result, scholars and intellectuals now exercise caution even in the use of the word woman. In the English language, the term women is used for woman, which is interpreted literally as “half of man.” Similarly, she is linguistically treated as a derivative of he. Another term used for woman is female, which is also understood as denoting half of male.

In the Arabic language, the words al-nisāʾ and al-marʾah are used for woman. As stated in the Holy Qur’an:

وَيَسْاَلُوْنَكَ عَنِ الْمَحِيْضِ ۖ قُلْ هُوَ اَذًى فَاعْتَزِلُوا النِّسَآءَ فِى الْمَحِيْضِ

وَاِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغْنَ اَجَلَـهُنَّ فَاَمْسِكُـوْهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوْفٍ اَوْ سَرِّحُوْهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوْفٍ ۚ

وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا

فَاَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَاَهْلَـهٝٓ اِلَّا امْرَاَتَهٝ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِـرِيْنَ

The root of the term niswaniyat (womanhood/femininity) is also derived from al-nisāʾ.

In Persian, the words zan and khatun are used for woman. In addition, several other terms are used for women based on particular qualities and attributes associated with them. For example, the term masturāt is used in a highly respectful sense, referring to the inner modesty of women. Its meaning implies that women remain concealed from public gaze, hence they are called masturāt, while its opposite is makshūfāt, a term that may be used for women who appear unveiled and openly visible.

Definition of Feminism:

Feminism is a term that does not lend itself to a single, comprehensive definition. In every era, thinkers with different intellectual backgrounds have defined feminism in diverse styles and frameworks. Whether it is the lack of a fixed definition or the absence of a fully comprehensive explanation, both reinforce the idea that feminism is a movement concerned with the struggle for women’s rights. In other words, the efforts undertaken to address the problems faced by a woman from birth to death constitute feminism, feminicity, or the women’s movement.

According to scholars, its scope is very broad, encompassing religion, law, politics, philosophy, psychology, ethics, economic rights, and a constructive mindset marked by thoughtful analysis and intellectual discourse. Its objectives include the supremacy of women’s rights and justice, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and encouraging society to resist all forms of exploitation. It seeks to provide guidance for positively employing women’s social, cultural, societal, political, civic, and all creative values and traditions.Dr. Seema Sagheera writes:

“Materially, in a developed age such as the twenty-first century, despite the feminist movement, woman still appears as a pitiable being. The attitude of considering woman inferior as a human being is still in practice. To such an extent that even educated men do not hesitate to label her as deficient in intellect, devoid of reason and wisdom. Changing this negative attitude and criticizing social agendas that reinforce unequal treatment is called ‘feminism.’ Feminism, known in Urdu as taneesiyat, is a declaration of the awakening of female consciousness. Contemporary feminist awareness advocates intellectual freedom and companionship for women, culturally, socially, and economically, in the same manner as for men.”

Dr. Seema’s view further supports the idea that feminism or taneesiyat is a multi-dimensional concept comprising diverse attitudes and issues. Christine Beasley, in her book What Is Feminism?, writes:
“Feminism is a range of political movements, social movements, and ideologies that aim to define, establish, and achieve the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes.”

In light of the above quotations, it can be stated that determining a single, fixed definition or a fully comprehensive explanation of feminism is extremely difficult, because it is a historical and thematic movement whose sole objective is equality in women’s rights. There is no doubt that feminist thought varies across regions according to local social environments and conditions. Nevertheless, it is important to cite some definitions offered by scholars in the context of their surrounding social realities. The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines feminism as:

“Feminism is the belief in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes.”

In the book Al-Harakat al-Niswiyyah, feminism is defined as:

“Feminism, or the defense of women’s rights, is a social renaissance that aims to secure for women a position equal to that of men on the cultural, social, and economic levels.”

From these definitions, it may be concluded that feminism addresses issues such as male-dominated social perceptions, patriarchy, unjust systems, social inequality (oppression and violence), economic exploitation, sexual coercion and terror, sexual exploitation, hypocritical moral values, unequal rights, outdated cultural traditions, biased attitudes within family and marital systems, employment opportunities, and political power. All these issues revolve around a single central concern: the identity of women. To secure equal rights for women at every level and in every sphere, the movement of feminism or taneesiyat came into being.

Historical Background of Feminism:

It is an established fact that small and large movements addressing women’s fundamental issues have always existed, and in every age voices have been raised for women’s rights. However, when presenting the historical background of feminism or taneesiyat, it is essential to begin with Christine de Pizan, who—according to Simone de Beauvoir—was the first woman to write in defense of women. She employed her full intellectual capacity to pursue, challenge, and expose the negative attitudes and unfounded notions of the clergy toward women. As a poet, she also wrote for King Charles VI of France, which meant that her poetry and writings were attentively heard not only in royal courts but also in public spaces. Consequently, when she began writing and speaking in favor of women, a public struggle for the restoration of women’s rights emerged, and public opinion was effectively mobilized through her efforts.

In my personal view, if women’s social conditions at that time were indeed as dire as described, then the popular reception of feminist themes in poetry and prose, and the public voice raised against oppression and injustice toward women, had a clear rational basis. On the one hand, women themselves were victims of exploitative treatment, and on the other, these themes represented a novel and distinctive subject within the literary tradition of the time—one that de Pizan utilized to shape public opinion. As a result, Christine de Pizan is recognized in history as the first woman to raise her voice for gender equality, and among some thinkers she is regarded as the first feminist woman.

She forcefully advocated for women and in 1399 wrote a book titled The Epistle to the God of Love, in which she highlighted women’s social roles and strongly criticized the injustices inflicted upon them, presenting women’s case before the world. Later, in 1405, she completed her famous book The Book of the City of Ladies, which brought her widespread recognition. Both works were originally written in French. Christine de Pizan, expressing her grievance against educated male writers, wrote:

“But just the sight of this book, even though it was of no authority, made me wonder how it happened that so many different men—and learned men among them—have been and are so inclined to express both in speaking and in their treatises and writings so many wicked insults about women and their behavior.”

She was deeply troubled by the prevailing male mindset—why poets, philosophers, and speakers consistently opposed women and denied them any opportunity to progress. Reflecting on this, she, along with her female companions, began an effort to clarify the roots of men’s negative attitudes toward women and to examine how justified they were. In her writings, she highlighted successful women to demonstrate that women were not inherently weaker than men, but were rendered so by deprivation of education and proper upbringing, which caused them to lag behind.

Following her, Marie Le Jars de Gournay (1565–1645) of France gained prominence through her collection of writings on women’s rights titled Apology for the Woman Writing and Other Works. She is widely regarded as a proto-feminist, as she supported women’s rights before the formal emergence of feminist movements.

Next comes François Poullain de la Barre (1645–1725), who in 1673 published a book titled The Equality of the Sexes, arguing that women are not naturally or innately inferior or weak.

As these early efforts unfolded, the eighteenth century witnessed the Industrial Revolution and significant advances in knowledge and skills. While living standards improved and prosperity spread, new problems also emerged. The rise in living standards fostered a desire for luxury, increasing demand for goods and triggering inflation, which made survival difficult for low-income groups. In these circumstances, women became actively involved in earning livelihoods, working alongside men and participating fully in the race of life. As women began earning income, their social standing improved slightly, encouraging them to demand further rights. Shared participation in the economic system led to demands for wage equality, which gained widespread acceptance.

The feminist movement formally began to take shape, with Mary Wollstonecraft emerging as a leading figure. She demanded equal representation and rights for women in all spheres of life—demands that resonated strongly within the social context of the time. In 1792, she articulated these ideas powerfully in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Through this work and her tireless efforts, the movement spread rapidly. In the nineteenth century, the movement achieved a major milestone with the Seneca Falls Convention held in New York in July 1848, convened to raise a collective voice for women’s rights. At this convention, The Declaration of Sentiments was presented. Approximately 300 people attended, including 40 men, and the document was signed by 68 women and 32 men. Building on this foundation, the movement continued through many ups and downs and eventually led to the formation of an active organization, the National Organization for Women (NOW). This organization was founded by the American feminist Betty Friedan, who is credited with giving feminism a second birth through her influential book The Feminine Mystique. Friedan organized women and, in 1966, along with 28 women, established the National Organization for Women (NOW).

“The National Organization for Women (NOW) was established by a group of feminists who were dedicated to actively challenging sex discrimination in society. With 500,000 members and 550 chapters in all 50 states, NOW is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States.”

NOW presented the following demands for women’s advancement:

• Abolition of laws based on gender discrimination
• Equal rights for women and men
• Equal and integrated educational and economic opportunities
• Protection of women’s rights in reproductive matters

Betty Friedan led women with remarkable courage, and in March 1970 women organized the first strike for equal rights. As a result, large numbers of women took to the streets demanding equality. In 1971, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution designating August 26 as Women’s Equality Day. This date was chosen because women were granted the right to vote on August 26, 1920. After the Second World War, the women’s rights movement gained further momentum with the establishment of the United Nations in 1945, which provided a global platform for women’s voices. From the outset, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was formed to oversee women’s political, social, economic, and educational rights.

“The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights, and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946.”

In 1979, this commission prepared a document titled The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979. It proposed various measures for gender equality and demanded equality between men and women at all levels, efforts that were strongly supported by UN member states worldwide. Subsequently, a series of resolutions and recommendations continued to be presented at the United Nations, with women striving to give them legal standing. This process continues to this day, as voices around the world persist in highlighting violations of women’s rights caused by dominant patriarchal structures—conditions deemed no longer tolerable and requiring collective resistance and action by women everywhere.

Conclusion:

Feminism is not about hating men. It is about justice. Whether it is the writings of Christine de Pizan in the 1400s or the modern laws of the UN, the goal remains the same: To treat women as full human beings with equal rights to live, work, and dream.