Feminine Consciousness and Existential Resistance in Fakhra Noreen's Poetic Texts

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between feminist consciousness and existential resistance in literature. Feminist consciousness reflects women’s awareness of their identity, social position, and individual existence, while existential resistance refers to the struggle through which women challenge social, cultural, and ideological oppression in order to affirm their selfhood. The paper argues that women are not merely passive subjects of tradition but conscious and autonomous beings who continuously strive for recognition and freedom. Through literary representation, female characters express inner conflict, alienation, identity crisis, and the desire for self-determination, which together shape a distinct mode of resistance. The study highlights that feminist consciousness is not limited to the demand for rights; rather, it is a deeper intellectual and existential quest for self-awareness, dignity, and autonomy. In this perspective, existential resistance emerges as a powerful expression of women’s struggle to establish an independent identity against structures of domination.

References:

1. Fakhra Noreen, Dr., Surmai Nazmain , Collage Publications, Lahore, 2025, p. 29
2. Ibid, p. 98-99
3. Interview of Raqma with Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Sajid, (via Telegram), March 9, 2026, 11 am
4. Fakhra Noreen, Dr., Surmai Nazmain, Collage, p. 109-110