Women’s issues occupy a significant position in literary studies, particularly when examining the multifaceted forms of injustice they encounter across different spheres of life. This study analyses the suffering of female characters in two novels Misk al-Ghazal (Women of Sand and Myyrh) by Hanan al-Shaykh and Perempuan yang Menangis kepada Bulan Hitam (Woman Crying for the Black Moon) by Dian Purnomo through the application of descriptive, analytical, and comparative methods. This research seeks to identify the causes and manifestations of women’s suffering within the framework of feminist literature, and analyse the similarities and differences in the way such suffering is represented in the two novels. The findings indicate that both novels portray physical, psychological, and social suffering, each with distinct characteristics. In Misk al-Ghazal (Women of Sand and Myyrh), physical suffering originates from internal sources, whereas psychological suffering is shaped by both internal sources and external factors involving individuals, small groups, and socio-institutional structures. Social suffering in this novel arises primarily from social and institutional factors. Conversely, in Perempuan yang Menangis kepada Bulan Hitam (Woman Crying for the Black Moon), physical suffering stems from both internal sources and external factors associated with individuals and small groups. Psychological suffering in this work is likewise influenced by internal and external sources, as well as social and institutional systems, while social suffering emerges predominantly from socio-institutional factors. This study concludes that the two novels share more similarities than differences, particularly in the centrality of psychological suffering and in positioning marriage as a principal source of such suffering. However, a notable divergence lies in the characters’ responses: the characters in Misk al-Ghazal (Women of Sand and Myyrh) tend to adopt a passive stance and remain trapped within their suffering, whereas the protagonist in Perempuan yang Menangis kepada Bulan Hitam (Woman Crying for the Black Moon) actively seeks to overcome her circumstances and pursue justice.