From Patriarchy to Neopatriarchy: Experiences of Women from Pakistan
Ume Habiba, Rabia Ali (PhD), Asia Ashfaq

Abstract
Patriarchy is not a new term. Feminist scholars have debated the notion of men exhibiting power over women in societies for decades. The purpose of this paper is to explore the form of patriarchy that is operationalized through women at the household level. Qualitative research was used to examine this phenomenon in district Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Purposive sampling was used to choose the sample consisting of seventeen cases and two FGD’s. The findings highlight that patriarchy is internalized through socialization among women at early stages of their lives. Further, women are re-socialized at the hands of in-laws after marriage. This process of socialization and re-socialization maintains control and power over women. The elder women in the family facilitate this process and act like the male patriarchs. The entire process results in marginalization of women at the hands of women to support the existing power structure.

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