The Women’s Action Forum is proud of the success of a series of Aural Marches across many cities of Pakistan that celebrated International Women’s Day this year. WAF Hyderabad spearheaded its own march with thousands of women demanding land rights and against social, sexual and economic injustices. All these marches included women and men from a wide spectrum of class, educational background, professions and geographical areas. Many young women and men at the Aural Marches spoke candidly on issues that have been hidden under euphemisms or false social politeness. Placards reflected realities of women and girls and covered a whole range of opinions and experiences – from personal to societal and political. What bound the marchers together was their collective protest against centuries of injustices perpetuated by Patriarchy. Unfortunately, many male and some women observers reacted fiercel;. whether it is the assumption that the primary duty of a woman is to look after the house. There is the lack of recognition of women’s labour within the house as well as the vital work that thousands of peasant women do outside, while placing restrictions on their movement and how they deport themselves. The sexual harassment and intimidation they face in their daily lives explain women experiences. It is ironic that critics are not offended by the sheer scale of sexual harassment, discriminations and restrictions that marchers exposed but instead, their sensibilities are injured by the slogans and posters that pointed these out. Surely, those outraged by the rapes and murders of the young Zainabs and Ambreens of Pakistan must realise that the seeds of violence germinate in masculine conceptions of power and not because women expose these with hard-hitting slogans? Camouflaging the root causes of exploitation of women’s labour, inequality and secondary status only disguises the connection of injustices to women’s bodies, and exploitation of their productive and reproductive labour. From the time of Gen Zia ul Haq’s attempts to engineer Islamisation in Pakistan, conservatives have been obsessed with the lengths 01 women’s shalwars and hair, and what they eat, drink and smoke. WAF’s own activists have been targeted and stereotyped as westernized, promiscuous and sinful for speaking out. Further proof of masculinist violence is evident by the way that some who disagreed with the politics Of Aural Marches have abused participants and supporters on social media and resorted to threats of direct violence and legal action. The toxic, intolerant, sanctimonious and narrow-minded abuse and incitement broadcast on television channels and spread on social media, is putting the safety of the organizers and participants at risk. The state must support the fundamental rights of actual victims of discrimination rather than tolerating those who perpetuate aggression and react viciously when this privilege is challenged. WAF demands that the state act on complaints against those who are threatening to punish women for defying male norms of acceptability and boundaries. Published in Daily Times, March 16th 2019.