Fatima Jinnah (1893-1967) is remembered in Pakistan as the “Mother of the Nation.” Her memory is a symbol of feminism and democracy.
Fatima Jinnah (1893-1967) is remembered in Pakistan as the “Mother of the Nation.” Her memory is a symbol of feminism and democracy.
While motherhood can take many forms, to mother is to usher forth new generations through care, work and imagination. For the entire month of December, we’re celebrating mothers — including those who raised children who went on to lead the civil rights movement and school desegregation efforts, such as Alberta King and Louise Little, as well as mothers of movements like Lorena Borjas who started the Latinx trans movement. All of the women featured this month were dedicated to the survival of children in their work and to imagining better futures for the next generation.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
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Hi everyone! From Wonder Media Network, I'm Anna Malaika Tubbs, the author of The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of MLK Jr., Malcom X and James Baldwin Shaped A Nation. My work focuses on motherhood, through the lens of feminism, intersectionality, and inclusivity, and I’ll be your guest host for this month of Womanica.
This month, we’re talking about mothers: women who ushered forth new generations and new futures through their care, work, and imagination.
Today, we’re talking about the woman remembered in Pakistan as the “Mother of the Nation.” Her memory is a symbol of feminism and democracy.
Let’s talk about Fatima Jinnah.
Fatima was born on July 30, 1893 in Karachi, in modern-day Pakistan. At the time, the geographic area now known as Pakistan was part of India and under the control of the British empire.
Fatima was the youngest of seven children born to the Jinnah family. After her father died in 1901, Fatima’s older brother, Muhammad Ali, became her primary guardian. He sent her to the Bandara [BAHN-da-rah] Convent in Bombay to receive an education. Outside of school, she also studied in her brother’s library and learnt piano.
In her late twenties, Fatima enrolled in dental school in Kolkata. Two years later, she returned to Bombay to open her own clinic with the help of her brother. In doing so, she became one of the first women in South Asia to open a dental clinic.
It’s important that we take a pause to understand the cultural and political climate that Fatima was growing up in. India was inching towards independence from Britain after more than a century of colonization. At the same time, tensions between Hindus and Muslims were manifesting in violent clashes and political stalemates. Fatima’s brother Muhammad Ali was a leader in the Muslim League, a political party representing the interests of Muslim Indians.
In 1929, Muhammad Ali’s wife died unexpectedly. Fatima closed her clinic and moved into her grieving brother’s home to help him manage his household. Over the next two decades, the siblings would grow increasingly dependent on each other.
The next year, Fatima traveled to London with Muhammad Ali, who wanted to continue to raise his political profile abroad. Fatima became more involved in her brother’s political affairs and served as his personal secretary while in London. During her four years abroad, she observed the role of British women in society. She concluded that higher degrees of education and social status helped them play more active roles in politics.
Upon the Jinnah's return to India, Fatima’s political activism blossomed. Both on her own and as her brother’s confidante, Fatima emerged as a leader for Muslim women in the independence movement. By inviting Fatima to stand alongside him during political speeches, Muhammad Ali helped to normalize the idea of a politically active Muslim woman. She also regularly attended women’s organizations and promoted women’s education and political involvement.
On August 14, 1947, Pakistan became an independent nation, and Fatima’s older brother became its first governor-general. The partition of British India cut a new border along rough religious lines, displacing tens of millions of people. Hindu and Muslim communities were scattered throughout both new countries. During this time, millions of Muslims and Hindus immigrated across the new border to escape continued violence between communities. Hundreds of thousands died. Fatima established the Women’s Relief Committee, later incorporated into the All Pakistan Women’s Association, to help refugees displaced by the split with India.
After years of poor health, Muhammad Ali died of tuberculosis in 1948. After her brother’s death, Fatima took a step back from public life, but she remained invested in women’s rights in the newly-formed country.
The years following Pakistan’s formation were marked by a constant struggle for control over the nation. In 1958, the country’s leader was General Ayub. He had come to power by seizing the presidency in a coup d’état. Many Pakistanis decried him as a corrupt authoritarian dictator.
In 1965, Pakistan held its first general election. The election partially served to legitimize Ayub’s presidency– after all, if he willingly exposed himself to an election, opponents would have a much more difficult time labeling him a dictator. Still, his government had all the necessary power to set the elections up in his favor. Pakistan had roughly 110 million citizens. However, its electoral system was set up so that only 80,000 could actually cast votes. This indirect system, called “Basic Democracy,” made it easy for Ayub and his government to pressure electors into voting for him. He was hoping for an easy victory to cement his government’s power. But the five major opposition parties banded together to nominate a challenger. They chose Fatima.
At first, Fatima wasn’t sure if she should accept the offer to run against Ayub. She was 71 years old, and her health was declining. But Fatima also believed in democracy. She wanted Pakistani citizens to have the right to choose their leaders — not just to serve whoever happened to be in power.
She agreed to challenge Ayub. As she said in a campaign speech, “I am taking up a tiring journey for my people whose betterment and prosperity is my mission.”
She ran on a nine-point platform which included removing class distinctions from Pakistani society, enshrining equal rights for minority citizens, welfare to those in poverty, and an end to government corruption.
Ayub did everything possible to block Fatima’s path to victory. His government officials detained people working for her campaign. He mocked her for her being a spinster.He even asked religious leaders to proclaim that Islamic law prohibited a woman from being a state leader. But this plan backfired when some expressed their belief that Fatima was eligible to rule.
Fatima was already fondly remembered as the sister of Pakistan’s first leader. But her firm stance against dictatorship made her a surprisingly popular candidate. She campaigned throughout Pakistan, greeting huge crowds of supporters in cities around the country. There was real hope that Fatima could usher in a new era of fairness and democracy.
But on January 2, 1965, Fatima lost the election.
Some historians believe that if the election had been truly fair, Fatima would have prevailed and become Pakistan’s first woman president. But even though she had lost, Fatima had carried several major urban centers, proving that support for Ayub’s dictatorship was far from universal. As Fatima said in her concession speech, “If the election has demonstrated one thing, it is that the constitutional system under which it was held does not provide a full opportunity for the effective expression of the people’s will.”
Fatima died on July 8, 1967 of heart failure. She was 74 years old. Three days later, she was buried alongside her brother as the gathering crowd chanted “Long Live the Mother of the Nation.” Over half a century later, she is still remembered as a beacon of hope and democratic ideals, as well as a feminist icon for Pakistani women.
All month, we’re talking about mothers. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan, for having me as a guest host.
Talk to you tomorrow!