Introduction

Abstract

Women’s nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan have been bombed, their members kidnapped, and in some cases even murdered. Even when they are not the targets of such extreme violence, their work is met with apathy at best, though more often it is met with outright hostility. Yet, amazingly, such organizations exist in Pakistan and have existed since the birth of the nation itself. These organizations offer an opportunity to study activism in action and analyze the various strategies and modes of argumentation used by them to advance women’s rights in a conservative environment, especially at a time when religious fundamentalists are gaining political power.