Challenging Patriarchy: Women’s Everyday Resistance and Agency in Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

Women in Pakistan have historically faced systemic oppression and marginalization within patriarchal structures, yet their everyday acts of resistance have remained underexplored in academic discourse. This study investigates women’s resistance in Larkana, Sindh, through a feminist qualitative framework using in-depth interviews and content analysis. Drawing on Spivak’s subaltern theory and feminist perspectives, the article explores how women negotiate agency within households, resist cultural and political marginalization, and challenge structural inequalities in education, health, mobility, and politics. The findings reveal that despite systemic barriers, women resist oppression through individual and collective actions, ranging from defiance in marital decisions to participation in feminist movements and online activism. This resistance not only challenges patriarchal norms but also redefines women’s roles in society. The article contributes to feminist literature on everyday resistance in Pakistan by foregrounding women’s voices from the periphery, particularly in Larkana. It concludes that acknowledging and documenting these resistances is crucial for strengthening gender justice and policy reforms in Pakistan.