Imran Khan under fire over feminism remarks
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LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman caused a social media uproar after he said feminism has degraded role of a mother.
In an interview with a private news channel, Khan said: “A mother’s influence is immense in a person’s life, specially if it’s a good mother and a mother in every sense of the word. I do not agree with the Western concept of feminism. It has degraded role of a mother.”
His comments caused a social media outrage among users and political rivals alike.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman said: “Feminism has redefined women’s lives for exercising choices: legitimised equality as a right, the opportunity of better wages, maternity leave, equal pay, a seat at the table instead of the server-drudge at home or the worker-drone in the back office. How has it degraded motherhood?”
Awami Workers Party (AWP) leader Ammar Rashid, who will contest against Khan from NA-53 Islamabad, criticised Imran saying that the “ideal pre-feminism mother” is a myth.
“Feminism is simply the first time in history women’s treatment as secondary and subhuman was challenged at a mass level. It is what gave women the right to study, to vote, to full citizenship. To forget all that and dismiss it as ‘degrading motherhood’ is criminally irresponsible,” he added.
In response to Ammar’s tweet, another user Rabia Khan said: “I got into it with him once. Feminism and the importance of mothers is not mutually exclusive. He can’t hold up ‘mothers on a pedestal’ as an excuse to downplay our rights and abilities.”
