Analysing Gender Indoctrination as a Subjugating Policy against Women in Pakistani English Fiction

Abstract

_{The concepts like rejection, objectification, deprivation, and discrimination are not new regarding the suffering of women in the twenty-first century. Women are particularly susceptible to the prevalent situations in today's fast-paced society. This paper analyses The Holy Woman by Qaisara Shahraz in the context of women's subjugation based on gender discrimination. It focuses on how Pakistani society and culture are portrayed in the novel and examines gender discrimination in terms of stereotypes, inequality, racial preferences, otherness, targeting objectification and personal prejudice in various facets of the lives of the novel's characters. Gender discrimination includes the systematic mistreatment of women because it is prejudiced against their socially prescribed roles. The goal of this research is to examine how inherited patriarchal culture operates against women and gender discrimination that affects the lives of the characters portrayed in the novel. This study makes use of qualitative research and the theoretical framework of gender theory and demonstrates how historically, socially, and traditionally, women are assigned poor positions in society. The finding shows that Qaisra Shahraz artistically portrayed the challenges of gender discrimination against women in a society that treats them as a commodity and operates against their dreams and wishes. The study further reveals that women in Pakistani culture are subjugated and are denied their basic rights as portrayed in the novel.}