A comparative examination of gender politics of three culturally interconnected Muslim majority states (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) whose findings reveal remarkably similar outcomes across borders. Utilizing a historical context, this work underscores the continued struggle within these societies between the hardliners who wish to relegate females to the status of slaves and those who strive for gender equality within a conservative cultural milieu.
Contents
Pakistan. The politics of gender in Pakistan, 1947-1977 : a historical overview ; Islamization and female status : life under General Zia-ul-Haq, 1977-1988 ; State policies and female status in the Post-Zia state -- Afghanistan. The politics of gender in Afghanistan (1919-1994) : a historical overview ; Rise of the Taliban and female practice : the politics of repression, 1996-2001 ; Gender politics in the Post-Taliban Afghan state : the politics of accommodation? -- Iran. The politics of gender in Iran, 1906-1941 : from constitutional revolution to monarchical "modernization" ; Modernization and female status : life under the Second Pahlavi Shah, 1941-1979 ; Trials and tribulations in Iran : gender politics in a theocracy -- Conclusion : Prospects for Pakistani, Afghan, and Iranian women in the twenty-first century.