Aurat March

The annual Aurat March is set to begin in an atmosphere teeming with both hope and despair. Hope because we have seen justice delivered in several high-profile cases of violence against women and in non-violent incidents of defamation or other forms of abuse and harassment. Despair because these incidents are still happening, arguably with increasing frequency, and far too many people are willing to twist themselves into knots in attempts to defend the attackers, or even justify the attacks.

Take the case of Noor Mukaddam, where her murderer has been condemned to death on the basis of strong evidence. In court, the convict’s lawyer tried to question the victim’s morality, and although the judge and most of the media and public slammed this approach, the fact that he felt such a vile approach might have worked in his client’s favour is reflective of how some segments of our society still look at women. After all, even Prime Minister Imran Khan first doubled down, then walked back comments last year in which he appeared to blame provocative clothing for assaults and harassment of women.

This year, as in years past, government officials have gone out of their way to try and suppress Aurat March events. Take the case of Lahore, where the additional deputy commissioner told the police to convince march organisers to cancel the event due to ‘security threats’ or to take full responsibility for the security of participants. Perhaps these mid-career bureaucrats need to be reminded that they work for the men and women who will be marching peacefully. If security is good enough for the Australian cricket team to tour Pakistan for mere entertainment, it is surely good enough for citizens to demand equality and justice for an oppressed segment of society.

The fact is that most people opposed to the Aurat Marches or their demands are those that benefit from the status quo. The same status quo that denies women equal treatment by the government, employers, society, and even their own families. The same status quo that still, despite laws to the contrary, is accepting child marriage, honour killings, and a host of other evils. That is not to say that all opponents of the marches condone these vile acts, but it is worth reminding them of the kind of people that share their outlook.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2022.

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