Aurat March: The Usual Tale

It was Women’s Day recently and, as usual, a day of great celebration and happiness. Women must be celebrated every day. And while talking about Women’s Day, we were reminded of Aurat March.  Every year on Women’s Day to celebrate women and their struggles. But like every year, this year was no different for Aurat March.

The endless criticism, the social media bashing, and the continuous discourse on whether the Aurat March represents Pakistani women or not have always been in Aurat March’s fate, unfortunately. Here is what we think about it.

Aurat March: The Vision

#vision

Loosely translated as Women’s March is a march that the same organization hosts. It started in 2018 when some women gathered to do public demonstrations on Women’s Day. This march takes place in cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Multan, where many women come out to participate in Aurat March.

Everybody is allowed to participate in Aurat March as long as they are speaking for the rights of women and of people who come from a segment of society that is not represented. The march has gained momentum since then and people of all genders and ages have since then participated to raise their voices for the injustice that is exercised against women.

It took momentum on social media where many people were seen posting their pictures with placards. The manifesto of Aurat March has always included women to be their priority while also discussing some of the very societal issues.

Furthermore, while we talk about the significance of the Aurat March it must also be noted that Aurat march is a movement that also talks about the women who are less or not represented at all. Furthermore, it is a movement that will help women in identifying there real potential and capabilities.

To put in a nutshell, it works for the betterment and benefit of women.

Aurat March: The Backlash

We wonder if all is right in the hood then why must there be any criticism? The answer to this question isn’t simple.

Ever since gained momentum, it has always been in the news. Be it the placards, which many have a controversial take on or the interviews given by some of the representatives of Aurat March,. A very famous example of this is “Mera Jism, Meri Marzi,” which many argue depicts vulgarity. Many other placards like these were brought into question because of their nature.

Furthermore, one of the many reasons why is heavily criticised is because of there their demand for transgenderism and many even claim LGBTQ. Remember, that these are just claims but most people, participating in these rallies were seen holding up some placards that were very objectionable.

Motorway Incident

#motorway

It was 2021 and the infamous motorway case emerged all of a sudden. The motorway case was something that shocked the entire nation. People from all backgrounds were speaking and raising their voices for the victim. During that time it was the march that helped convey this message. The message was conveyed in the form of masses. Held rallies all across the nation to condemn and support the victims.

This wasn’t the first time when something like this came in front. There were countless cases where women were brutally murdered or hurt in ways that cannot be described. This includes the many women who were denied the right of marriage, education, property and other things.

Bottomline

As far as we see it, you must give credit to Aurat March.  Struggles to raise voices. Be it the Noor Mukadam case or other social issues, Aurat March has played a very integral role. There might be many things that we oppose. Furthermore, as long as the march is done within a certain limit, we think that’s it for the good.