Running for the fifth consecutive year, Aurat March will be held across many cities. As usual, the participants will gather at the historical landmark, where speeches will be given and tableaux would be performed.
Aurat March
The Aurat March is an annual socio-political demonstration in Pakistani cities such as Lahore, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar to observe International Women’s Day.
The first Aurat Marches were begun by women’s collectives in parallel with the Pakistani #MeToo movement on International Women’s Day. The first march was held on 8 March 2018 in Karachi.
The march calls for greater accountability for violence against women and supports women who experience violence and harassment at the hands of security forces, in public spaces, at home, and in the workplace.
Demands of 2022
The organisers of Aurat March have issued a statement this year demanding specific rights. Let’s have a look:
As we gear up for March 8, our volunteers are canvassing across the city speaking to different people about asal insaaf and our Manifesto. #AuratMarch2022 #AuratMarchLahore#AsalInsaaf pic.twitter.com/kynDlLj9fd
— عورت مارچ لاہور – Aurat March Lahore (@AuratMarch) March 1, 2022
Many people expressed similar frustration and lack of trust regarding our justice system–we strive to find common ground with those around us to change society one conversation at a time!#AuratMarch2022 #AsalInsaaf#AuratMarchLahore pic.twitter.com/CHpYmFI6CK
— عورت مارچ لاہور – Aurat March Lahore (@AuratMarch) March 1, 2022
It talks of every single system that contributes to sexual violence — from the court and police to feudalism and capitalism. The anthem demands #AsalInsaf, forcefully holding all of these institutions accountable.
Will you join us in performing it in 2022?
— عورت مارچ لاہور – Aurat March Lahore (@AuratMarch) February 28, 2022
But perhaps most importantly, we need a society where these gruesome acts don’t happen in the first place. A society where violence is not the answer, where men do not feel the need to act out their aggression,
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— عورت مارچ لاہور – Aurat March Lahore (@AuratMarch) February 26, 2022
