Women and Freedom in Hamida Shahid’s Poetry: Feminist and Social Perspectives

Abstract

Hamida Shaheen’s ghazals occupy a significant place in modern Urdu poetry, where the traditional structure of the ghazal becomes a powerful vehicle for feminist expression. Her work redefines the feminine voice within a genre historically dominated by male perspectives. Shaheen’s poetry reflects a conscious awakening of women’s identity, intellect, and emotional autonomy. Through the use of refined symbolism and lyrical intensity, she addresses the complexities of womanhood-love, longing, societal constraints, and the quest for self-realization. Her verses often challenge patriarchal norms subtly yet effectively, portraying women not as passive subjects of love and loss, but as independent beings capable of thought, resistance, and decision.

The feminist undertone in Hamida Shaheen’s ghazals is neither radical nor overtly rebellious; rather, it emerges through introspection, dignity, and a nuanced articulation of inner strength. By blending classical poetic conventions with modern sensibility, she reclaims the ghazal as a space where female subjectivity and emotional truth coexist harmoniously. Her poetry reveals the transformation of the woman’s role—from silence to speech, from subordination to self-assertion.