The exhibit will be opened in Pasadena in 2024.
The aim of "Women Without Borders: A Visual Study of Lives of Women in Pakistan" is to identify the differences and, more importantly, the commonalities between the status of women in Pakistan and the United States.
Cross-cultural studies carried out by Western feminists often depict women in developing nations as oppressed without any agency. The representation of women in a one-dimensional manner has had a detrimental impact on the advancement of women's rights, widening the gap between Western women and those residing in developing countries. In the present circumstances, it is imperative to foster collaborative efforts that facilitate the building of meaningful relationships between women from the United States and Pakistan.
These connections would serve as platforms for discussing and projecting alternative narratives with regard to their struggles and resilience. Rather than serving as counterproductive saviours of Pakistani women, American women must challenge restrictive patriarchal norms as equal partners and create powerful networks of women who can overcome a variety of challenges and collaborate to build more equitable social structures.
The initiative encourages the inclusion of women from both the United States and Pakistan as equal participants in challenging patriarchal norms and establishing robust networks of women who are capable of addressing diverse barriers and working together to form more equitable systems of society.