Preservation of Cultural Identity and Women’s Human Rights in the East: A Critique of Western Feminism and a Reflection on the Localist Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Research Institute for Women and Family, Qom, Iran

10.22081/phlq.2025.71594.1110

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine and critique the Western feminist approach and the dominant discourse of universal human rights in addressing the issue of Eastern women. This study seeks to demonstrate how the universalization of concepts such as freedom, equality, and emancipation often fails to align with the cultural, religious, and social contexts of Eastern societies. Emphasizing a localist approach, the possibility of integrating gender justice with the preservation of women’s cultural identity in societies such as Iran, Iraq, and Gaza is also explored. This research adopts a qualitative method, utilizing the theoretical framework of postcolonial feminism. In the conceptual section, the views of Edward Said in Orientalism, Gayatri Spivak and Chandra Mohanty in postcolonial feminism, and Samuel Huntington in the “Clash of Civilizations” theory are employed. The research method is based on critical discourse analysis and comparative studies, and, to provide a more concrete examination of the subject, three case studies on the situation of women in Iran, Iraq, and Gaza are analyzed. The findings indicate that the prevailing discourse of Western feminism often overlooks the experiences and cultural backgrounds of Eastern women, instead defining them within universalized paradigms. In some instances, this leads to the reproduction of an Orientalist perspective towards Eastern women. Furthermore, analysis of the case studies reveals the emergence of cultural resistance against imposed global models in these societies, resulting in the rise of indigenous interpretations of women’s rights, which seek to balance cultural values and demands for gender justice. According to the findings, effective realization of women’s rights in Eastern societies requires an approach attentive to cultural diversity and local contexts. Mere reliance on universal Western feminist models cannot address the cultural and social complexities of these societies. Therefore, the
article emphasizes the need to reassess certain international human rights documents and discourses, to facilitate the acceptance of diverse and indigenous approaches for realizing gender justice, and to establish a balanced connection between women’s rights and the preservation of cultural identity.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Philosophy of Law
Volume 4, Issue 2
October 2025
Pages 256-237

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  • Receive Date: 18 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 19 April 2025

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