Sustaining Power: Women’s Struggles Against Contemporary Backlash in South Asia (SuPWR) Exhibition

The Sustaining Power: Women’s Struggles Against Contemporary Backlash in South Asia (SuPWR) Exhibition took place from December 16-18th 2024 in Lahore. The exhibition was held as part of the Sustaining Power: Women’s Struggles Against Contemporary Backlash in South Asia project, an ESRC-funded collaborative research project encompassing Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan and conducted over a span of five years. The SuPWR Pakistan team is led by the Institute of Development & Economic Alternatives (IDEAS).

The SuPWR Exhibition was organized by IDEAS in collaboration with the Saida Waheed Gender Initiative (SWGI) and Mahbub-ul-Haq Research Centre (MHRC) at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex. It was a key contribution to the Pathways to Development Conference 2024. The immersive multi-country exhibition was displayed throughout the corridors and central courtyard of the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGHSS) building at LUMS.

The artworks and imagery explored the core question of the SuPWR project: when, how, and why women’s power struggles succeed in retaining power and sustaining their gains against backlash.

Exploring Women’s Political Struggles Through Art

The exhibit showcased art and imagery that centered the voices of 16 women’s and feminist rights movements from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and Pakistan, highlighting their multifaceted struggles and successes amid growing anti-gender backlash. Visitors and participants were invited to explore a diverse array of interactive and thought-provoking exhibits, including digital stories, documentaries, and original artworks, offering an immersive experience of women’s struggles in South Asia. The exhibition provided a unique opportunity to deepen understanding and engage with the rich stories of women’s activism in the region.

Women’s Political Struggles in Pakistan 

Contemporary women’s struggles in Pakistan face deepening authoritarianism, political polarization, economic contestation, and social fragmentation. In this complex environment, they navigate backlash from both the state and the religious right, closely followed by a conservative media and society at large.

The SuPWR project explores the histories and contemporary mobilization of four women’s struggles in Pakistan: the Anti-Child Marriage Struggle, the Aurat March and Aurat Azadi March, the Home-Based Women Workers Federation, and the Hazara Women’s Struggle.

🖼️ 🎨 View the virtual exhibition to learn more about all 16 struggles across Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh here: link to virtual exhibition 

Artist Launch: “Malikah-nama” – Miniature Art on Feminism and Resistance by Shakila Haider

Visitors were invited to discover Malikah-nama, a feminist reinterpretation of the Shahnama by contemporary miniature artist Shakila Haider. This series highlights the peaceful struggle of Hazara women, one of Pakistan’s most persecuted communities, as they fight for autonomy, equality, and their right to life.

SuPWR Workshop

Members from struggles across Pakistan were invited to participate in a dissemination workshop designed to build solidarity and foster engagement between movements.

We are grateful to all those who contributed their time, creativity, and insights to this event, and we look forward to continuing our collective efforts.