RESISTANCE LITERATURE WRITTEN BY WOMEN IN URDU

Abstract

Resistance literature has been a valuable mode of challenging oppression, colonialism, and patriarchy. It has given voice to the marginalized by retelling their own stories and realizing social change. This article explores the contributions of women writers such as Rasheed Jahan, Ismat Chughtai, and Fahmida Riaz in Urdu resistance literature, particularly in questioning patriarchal, social, and religious oppression.

Through their works, these writers critiqued domestic oppression, gender inequality, and societal hypocrisy while advocating for women’s autonomy, education, and sexual freedom. Jahan’s Angaaray exposed the suffocating conditions of women in conservative households, Chughtai’s Lihaaf boldly addressed female sexuality, and Riaz’s poetry, such as Chadar Aur Char Diwari, critiqued patriarchal control and societal repression. Their literature, deeply rooted in the Progressive Writers' Movement, not only reshaped Urdu literary traditions but also inspired feminist discourse and resistance movements in South Asia.

By addressing themes such as the critique of patriarchy and domestic oppression, gender and sexuality as forms of resistance, social and religious hypocrisy, and class struggles and economic oppression, their works remain relevant to contemporary feminist activism. Their enduring legacy continues to inspire new generations to challenge oppressive structures and advocate for equality.