For the past several years, International Women’s Day has been a controversial occasion in Pakistan, with the annual Aurat March ruffling feathers of the country’s religious conservatives. The march started as a way for women to publicly demand the equal rights that Pakistan’s constitution affords them, but they say Pakistani society denies them. The pushback the event receives has come to showcase conflicting visions of what Pakistan is and could be.
Demonstrations for International Women’s Day, which took place on March 8, have been held around Pakistan since 2018. In the past, Aurat March has included speeches from organisers, dance and musical performances, and an array of brightly colored posters bearing slogans like “mera jism meri marzi” – "my body, my choice." The messages on display at the event are often irreverent and slightly rebellious, which has pushed the buttons of Pakistan’s right-wing parties.
In February, the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan imploring him to ban Aurat March completely. Instead, he suggested Pakistan celebrate “Youm-e-Hijab” – veil day. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and other religious parties have also warned the government that if demonstrators used controversial slogans or anti-Islam text on their banners or placards, they would be stopped with force.
Despite (or perhaps to spite) their religious critics, Aurat March organizers have doubled down on their efforts to keep the even alive – something other Aurat March participants can get behind. Zara Aqeel, a 28-year-old student from Karachi said Aurat March continues to be a necessary tool to challenge the country’s prevailing patriarchal values. She said she envisions a Pakistan where everyone has the freedom to live as they want if they aren’t hurting anyone.
She has attended the march since 2019 and got involved in organizing in 2020. She believes the energy of the movement embodies the spirit of young people in Pakistan who feel empowered to create change. But Aqeel said the age of protestors also works against them in some cases because society tends to infantilise young people. Aqeel said people her age feel motivated to join protests because they are often denied rights and resources in other areas of life.
Aqeel said not everyone agrees with her involvement in Aurat March; She’s had arguments with family members and university acquaintances who don’t see the significance of and need for International Women’s Day activities in Pakistan.
Making grievances public
Although Islam and Pakistan’s constitution both give women rights in a variety of areas, many women in Pakistan say they remain severely limited by their gender. Feminist organisations and social activists have long fought to balance the scales by empowering women to demand their rights while fighting against gender-based violence and discrimination. Part of the reason why Aurat March beganwas to make public the grievances of women around the country.
Still, every year it faces pushback. The Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri complained to Imran Khan that the banners women carry at the protest show that they take issue with the Islamic system in Pakistan. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) central leader Abdul Majeed Hazarvi said women are promoting western culture in Islamic society in the name of International Women’s Day.
Social activist and veteran Aurat March organizer Sheema Kirmani said the Aurat March is pushing for the constitutional and legal rights of women in a male-dominated society. The slogan for this year’s Aurat March is “Ujrat, Tahafuz aur Sakoon.” This year, the Aurat March was held in Jinnah Park in Karachi to highlight the unique but united struggles of domestic workers, sanitation workers, manual workers, and minorities who face threats of harassment and violence.
Kirmani said Aurat March is not an anti-Islamic movement, nor is the event promoting sexism. “These slogans reflect the challenges women are facing on daily basis,” she said. “Narrow-minded people criticize women for raising their issues and demanding equal rights in Pakistan.” Despite criticism, she said, Aurat March organizers and participants will not stop their movement
Mx (a pseudonym because she has security concerns) Khan, 30, an Aurat March organizer since 2018 said the movement aims to counter violence against all women without comparing religion, cast, and gender. Without a supportive structure from society that allows women to fight for their fundamental rights, she said Aurat March can act as a platform to unite people in their fight for dignity. She believes it is one of few places where the feminist movement has been allowed to flourish and present ideas that run counter to the state’s narrative.
Khan said independent movements advocating for women always face threats in Islamic society, where misinformation is rampant and direct threats to the cause are common. Since religious factions and the state are trying to suppress the movement, she said remaining independent of political affiliations is important for the movement to raise issues faced by all women.
Shireen Mazari, the Federal Minister for Human Rights, strongly condemned Noor-ul-Haq Qadri’s letter about imposing a ban on Aurat March, saying it is not the government’s place to make such a statement. She said women have the constitutional right to take part in the Aurat March and added Imran Khan has not responded to Qadri’s letter yet but might address it in the next cabinet meeting.
Aurat March criticism
Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, former Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan said that religious parties are not against women’s rights, they’re against the promotion of Western values in an Islamic Republic. He said Islam has already given women rights and freedoms according to Sharia, and he disagrees with the way Aurat March is carried out.
Rehman said there’s no need for a march in Pakistan promoting women’s rights because women in the country live according to Islamic principles. He argues women involved in organising Aurat March have a specific agenda: to promote Western culture.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Sindh Chapter General Secretary Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro said JUI-F is not against women’s rights either. He said feminists are promoting vulgarity and absurdity under the umbrella of Aurat March, using controversial slogans to distort Islamic ethics and spread hate among Muslims in Pakistan. We will not tolerate any unethical slogans, anti-Islam, anti-Sharia, or anti-Islamic ideology text in Aurat March, Soomro said. He added that JUI-F will stop marchers by force if they displayed vulgarity, absurdity, or controversial messages on their banners and placards.
Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, the president of Jamat-e-Islami (JI) said he recognises that women face a range of issues in their day-to-day life in Karachi. He said there is no separate public transport for women, and they face a range of challenges in their workplaces, including inadequate wages.
Still, he said Jamat-e-Islami will not tolerate and support any controversial slogans of Aurat March, adding that women already have rights given to them by Islam. He said JI strongly opposes slogans like “Mera Jism Meri Marzi” and said JI will be organizing a "Hayya March" on international Women's Day, where they will present their charter for women’s rights.
"I believe that this Aurat March is absolutely crucial for Pakistan because there is widespread gender-based hatred and prejudice, violence against women and those belonging to gender and sexual minorities, as well as religious minorities,”Abad, who asked that only this name be included for security concerns, said. The 30-year -old social activist said the rising tide of ultra-right-wing extremism and hyper-nationalism has contributed to a general sense of doom that many feel when they think about the future of the country.
He said that the feeling of doom is among the reasons why he and his peers choose to partake in activism on the ground. Abad said people like him who don't come from privileged backgrounds appreciate the pain and discomfort women face when they are subject to gender discrimination and violence. For this reason, he said Aurat March is not just a women's march but a progressive movement that pushes for inclusivity and acceptance.
Pastor Ghazala Shafiq, a veteran organizer of Aurat March said this movement is more relevant than ever in a country where minor girls are being raped, Hindu girls are being forcibly converted and women of religious minorities are being treated like second class citizens. She said all of this is patently unjust since the constitution of Pakistan provides equal rights to every citizen no matter their gender.
Aurat March is a platform for women to voice their struggle for basic rights, freedom, respect, and acknowledgment of the sacrifices women in Pakistan society make, Shafiq said. “We have received threats from different factions, right-wing and even facing criticism from the citizen due to our bitter truth slogans,” she said.
Impressive Show
This year, Aurat March organisers chose to hold the event at Jinnah Park (near Mazar of Quaid-e-Azam) instead of Frere Hall. The city administration provided security arrangements for marchers, who watlked from Bunder Road (M. A. Jinnah Road) to Capri Cinema. Ahead of the event, organsiers received threats from religious zealots, which put Karachi police on high alert. There was also an Anti-Harassment cell established by the organisers in Jinnah park to protect the females from harassment during the March. Organisers said security arrangements were good, with police, female officers and rangers deployed on all sides of the venue.
The organisers spoke about issues common people face. They brought up displacement from Gujjar Nallah and other settlements and colonies near the Karachi Circular Railway. There was a bigger persence than in years past of relatives of missing persons. There were performances by Sheema Kermani and members of the transgender community. The mood at the event was upbeat, with people holding brightly colored signs with different messages.
Organisers said this was a historic Aurat March because hundreds of women Marched on M.A. Jinnah Road, where the country's major political and religious parties have held rallies. They said they want the location to reinforce the idea that every place in the city is also for women and girls, and that Aurat March participants will come out in full force no matter what.
The writer is a freelance journalist based in Karachi. He can be reached on Twitter @Zafar_Khan5