Aurat March – The Inside Story

It was the second consecutive year that women marched on the streets of Pakistan. Under the umbrella of Aurat March, women from all walks of life marched for their basic rights. If you compare the march with that of the last year, you will find a greater representation of women and support of the male allies too.

However, there seems to be a disconnect between what actually happened at the march and the debate which is going on at mainstream and social media.

The amount of backlash that such an organization has had is almost unbelievable because the women were marching for nothing but their rights.

Indeed everyone needs equal rights but im confused where’s our nation actually heading Majority cards in aurat march are totally irrelevant vulgar & disgusting “Naach koi nahi rokega, nazar teri gandi parda mai karun? Bistar khud garam kro? It’s so disrespectful for ones own self

— Izma. (@IzmaSiddiqi) March 8, 2019

Let us look at the plausible reasons why such a reaction could be garnered in the first place and how we can view movements as the Aurat March.

There is no denying that women in Pakistan are not particularly safe. We have the record for being the sixth most dangerous country in the world for women and this title is very well deserved. Just the number of registered cases of death due to violence is 5000. There are crimes of honor killing, acid attacks, and the culture thrives on taking away a woman’s inheritance and limiting her to only play the role of homemakers.

Yes, there is a lot of improvement in the urban centers of Pakistan with many prominent female figures fighting their way up to the system but that does not mean that rights as basic as life is not being denied. Don’t believe me, check the reports on female foeticide in Pakistan which confirm that over 200 abortions take place in Pakistan every day.

This shows us that there is a need in the country to mobilize women to ask for their rights and that is the vacuum that Aurat March successfully managed to fill. The Aurat March also signifies that there is space in the society to work and women and their allies now need to collectively work to improve the living conditions for everyone.

The problem with a cherry-picked narrative

The coverage that the Aurat March received on social media and mainstream media was limited to placards and not much effort was put into explaining why women were out on the streets. If you encounter a movement like this and if you come across someone reporting it, make sure to research on your own about what actually happened and the internet will amaze you with its ability to house several narratives.

Did you know that the women worked out a complete manifesto this year highlighting all the issues that they stand up for? Yes, they did. And in that manifesto, all the issues are explained in all seriousness as people were demanding.

The difference between manifestos and marching

While manifestos are written with all seriousness, marches are conducted inclusively. This means welcoming each individual under the banner of sisterhood and solidarity. A march is not supposed to be all serious by nature. There is no legal dictate which emphasizes on that. This means people have the liberty to also enjoy the communal experience and put forth their concerns in a manner which traditionally people would like to call “humorous”. Individuals, whether or not they want to associate to any movements, have the capacity to be satirical about the issues they face. And that is what we saw at the Aurat March too in the form of placards which managed to evoke the feeling of rage in a population which was peace loving at a time when India was pushing for war. There is no harm in reclaiming your space. Women are just as deserving of the space in the country as any other person and that is a constitutional right.

The allegation of being anti-men

Believe it or not but the march this year had greater male representation. Men marched alongside women to show solidarity and acknowledge the issues faced by women in society and the need to solve them. Here’s a video outlining what men had to say.

Representation

There is also this allegation that only a few women of a certain class marched and there was barely any representation from women who are actually subjugated. This means that people think that those women who actually went out have it all in their lives whereas women who need support could not make it there. At the same time, they think that march was only just limited to witty placards and no serious banners were carried. Here’s a video of the march to prove otherwise. Union workers, domestic workers, abuse survivors, differently abled women – you name it. Everyone was present at the march.

Questions you should be asking

There is a need to critically observe the emergence of such movements. The questions we need to ask them are:

1. Is this movement limited to a march each year?
2. What are your plans beyond the march?
3. How can you convert this support into a tangible impact on the ground?
4. Will this group emerge as a significant pressure group in the 21st-century politics of Pakistan?

And these are questions which they should be asking themselves and working upon too. A triggered crowd is listening and a bigger show is expected next year. In order to create space, a thorough framework needs to be devised so that the march does not lose its meaning.

cover image via thenews.com.pk

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