Pakistan's younger feminists are reshaping people's discussion about gender by contending that "empowerment of women" covers transgender women, disabled women, women who live outside large cities, and, above all, those who work in informal occupations and in rural areas. What they undertake is changing movement targets, legal efforts and ways people discuss these themes freely.

One palpable sign of this change is the Aurat March. Karachi-based Avow declares that it identifies with "women (cis and trans), khawaja siras, trans men and non-binary people." This diversity shows the organisation looks out for healthcare, workers' rights, disability rights and gender minorities' protections, alongside harassment and violence.

This intersectional turn is arriving against currents. Pakistan's landmark Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, which was celebrated for validating self-perceived gender identity, has faced legal setbacks. In May 2023, Federal Shariat Court overturned salient provisions relating to gender identity and inheritance........

© The Express Tribune