اکیسویں صدی کی نسائی شاعری میں عورت کے وجودی مسائل کا اظہار

EXPRESSION OF WOMEN'S EXISTENTIAL PROBLEMS IN 21ST CENTURY FEMINIST POETRY

Abstract

This research article explores the multifaceted challenges of working women as depicted in contemporary Urdu poetry, specifically focusing on the "double grind" between professional obligations and domestic expectations. The study contextualizes the transition of women from the private sphere to the public workforce as a forced economic necessity rather than a purely liberating choice, rooted in the historical aftermath of the World Wars and the demands of the global capitalist system. Through a critical analysis of the works of prominent poets such as Parveen Shakir, Nasim Syed, and Dr. Fakhra Noreen, the article highlights the psychological and physical exhaustion inherent in the "double burden" of labor. It investigates the illusion of gender equality within capitalist structures, where women are often reduced to "service machines" while still being held solely responsible for domestic upkeep and childcare. Key themes include workplace harassment—symbolized by the figure of the "Stenographer"—the conflict between economic autonomy and emotional needs, and the gradual death of female creativity under the weight of financial survival. The study concludes that Urdu poetry serves as a powerful medium for exposing the systemic hypocrisy of a society that accepts women’s economic contributions but refuses to dismantle the patriarchal barriers that hinder their true human and artistic growth.