Daily Times

Disturbed by all the uproar after the Aurat March that was held on March 8, I feel compelled to write what I feel about the whole post-melodrama related to the event. For all the fragile feelings that have been hurt by a few placards that were displayed at the event, with every person trying to highlight a little dot on a whole wide canvas- blindfolding themselves to the turmoil of too many helpless women who only leave their homes to be seen and to heard for a greater cause. All women stood hand in hand, not against men but against a rapist, an abuser, a sexual harasser and against someone who burnt a woman’s face with acid. These cries for justice were not against the male gender, but against people who kill for honour. This uproar was against a child molester and against a mindset that buries a daughter as soon as she is born. These cries were for mercy; this noise was for justice over matters that have been unfair for a woman in our society for decades. The Aurat March is not war against the men, but against evil and injustice that reigns in our systems. But we just couldn’t look past a few posters and nullified the whole effect of this event, cursing the women who dared to march the streets and take a stand for themselves. Really? How is our ego so easily hurt? Do we really think that our society has nothing to improve? Does that mean that the system is perfectly fine and there needs to be no change? Does that mean that all women are treated fair and there is no need for such events?

Some very ‘honourable’ people kill their daughters and sisters for honour’s sake, yet they are never shamed when freely marching the streets

Empowering women doesn’t take away power, but adds to it. When we empower our women, together we all become a power house as a nation. As far as the posters are concerned, there were some well illustrated posters and some that were not very fitting. But when a girl wants to raise an issue related to her personal needs, she should be able to do so. There is no “bey hayai” for a woman to talk about the hyped up taxes over sanitary pads. We obviously do not expect men marching the streets for such matters. Women were shamed for holding posters about sexual harassment and it seems as if speaking against evil is the new evil in today’s world. Aurat March is not a march for liberalism, but a roar to wake up the sleeping law makers and systems that are failing to protect the women of this country. It is a demand to educate every young girl, it is a call to make every girl feel safe at home, at her work place or even in the street.

Some very ‘honourable’ people kill their daughters and sisters for honor sake, yet these people are never shamed when they freely march the streets.

A girl who was too shy or didn’t have enough witnesses to register her rape case has her rapist freely marching the street.

The person who attacked a girl’s face with acid when she refused his proposal also freely marches the street.

There are a large number of men that participated in the event, to support their sisters, daughters, mothers, friends and every woman who faces oppression. A salute to all such men who understand the need of a solution and who stand hand in hand with a woman in her cry for freedom against evil, abuse, and injustice. Aurat March is not women’s war against men, but our war against the unjust monsters in our surrounding.

Published in Daily Times, March 14^th 2019.