Evolution from Feminism to Postfeminism: Islamic Representation of Womanhood

The paper aims at examining the emerging role of postfeminism in the present era and its concordance with the Islamic representation of womanhood. In this regard, the researchers highlight the role and purpose of feminism since its inception, and its various manifestations are also dealt with at length. The philosophy of postfeminism is discussed and the point of interest is its harmonious relationship with Islam and the Islamic concept of womanhood. Thus, this study asserts that there is a gradual transition from the theoretical and philosophical framework of feminism to postfeminism as these frameworks have been used frequently in the field of language and gender research. The contemporary study is embedded in the wider theoretical framework of Islamic Feminism. The researchers found out that there are conflicting ideologies between feminism (and all its offshoots) and Islam but as far as postfeminism is concerned, there is none. Rather, postfeminism propagates and supports the Islamic concept of womanhood in true spirit. It is also worth noting that feminist ideas and ideology have greatly dented the social and political fabric of mankind and human civilization in general. Postfeminism advocates for integrating and maintaining a balanced position for womanhood in life, that is, a balance between social and individual life, a balance between professional and family life. The purpose of this article is to promote a better understanding of the status of women in Islam and its overlapping and common grounds with postfeminism, that is, Almighty Allah has equated female folk at par with their male folk. The research is significant as it challenges the western notion of women in Islam and dispels the erroneous notions of suppression of women in Islam. The prime finding of this research is that like Islam, postfeminism proclaims equal footing for men and women in life, as enshrined in the Holy Quran.