Women marched for rights in several cities on International Women’s Day (IWD) on Tuesday.
The IWD campaign theme was “Break the Bias” this year and women in Pakistan celebrated it under the manifesto of “reimagining justice.”
Like previous years, different feminist movements and rights organizations together arranged the marches in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Multan and other cities. Pictures and videos on social media platforms showed thousands of women participating in Aurat March.
It was the fifth march since its inception in 2018. The participants demanded equal rights, end to systemic discrimination and a world for them that was equitable and inclusive where differences were valued and celebrated.
In Lahore, Aurat March started from the Lahore Press Club and ended in front of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) building at Egerton Road. Over 3,000 women from different walks of life including the transgender community and men took part in the march. Fool proof security arrangements were made by the district administration for the event.
Representatives of Women Action Forum, Rawadari Tehreek, Working Women Organization, Human Right Pakistan, Women Democratic Front, Haqooq Khalq Movement and Progressive Students’ Collective were part of the march. The prominent persons who attended were: Imtiaz Alam, Saeeda Diep, Nayab Gohar Jan, Ammar Ali Jan, Nida Kirmani, Mohsin Abdali, Muzammal Khan, advocate Haya and many others.
The marchers demanded more holistic reforms in different laws related to working women, harassment at workplaces, gender equality and other areas. They called for inclusion of economic and environmental aspects in the understanding of justice.
They sung Punjabi tappay (songs typically sung at weddings) by redefining them to challenge the patriarchy and criticise parents who got khula clauses removed from the nikkah nama ahead of their daughter’s wedding.
Debates over the Aurat March have been never-ending in the country and parallel rallies were organized by the religious organizations in the city where protesters demanded curbs on the Aurat March.
The Jamaat-e-Islami women wing organized a rally in front of Nasir Bagh, Tehreek-e-Baidari Ummat-e-Mustafa at The Mall and Pakistan Awami Tehreek organized a seminar in connection to the IWD.
