This anthology brings together the work of several feminist Urdu poets who challenged the socio-religious restrictions in Pakistan during the 1970s and 80s. The title is taken from a poem by Kishwar Naheed, which acts as a manifesto of defiance against the “virtuous woman” archetype imposed by state-sponsored moral policing. The collection showcases the use of poetry as a critical tool for political subversion and the assertion of female autonomy. The poets reflect on the experience of living under a regime that sought to control women’s bodies and voices through conservative legislation. The anthology’s structure allows for ironic, grieving and military perspectives, each capturing the resilience needed to maintain one’s dignity in a patriarchal society. The poems reflect the emotional complexity of resistance, where art becomes a primary means of reclaiming identity and agency.
[Rukhsana Ahmad (ed.) (1991). We Sinful Women. The Women’s Press Ltd.]
Sources:
https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-poems/poems/poem/103-23748_WE-SINFUL-WOMEN
