Aurat Azadi March of Pakistan Facing Threats from Right-Wing Groups
By
Mavra Bari
05.03.2021
Prior to
the inception of the "Aurat Azadi March," or the women's freedom
march, International Women's Day on March 8 used to be a low-key event in
Pakistan, mostly celebrated by different non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
across the country. But it has now become a public event, in which thousands of
women, rights activists and common people participate, thanks to the Aurat
Azadi March organizers.
Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for
women
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As the
event grew bigger and gained strength, it also received more condemnation from
conservative sections and groups. On mainstream and social media, people debate
about the women's march, with many people – mostly men – calling it a
"vulgar" event, funded by the West to spread secular values in the
Islamic country.
The march
organizers have drawn ire from religious groups for their slogan "my body,
my choice," and have received open threats from conservative groups.
Although this year's International Women's Day is not being commemorated on a
large scale due to COVID-19 restrictions, the feminist movement in Pakistan
faces enormous challenges in its fight for more freedom for the country's
women.
Religious groups celebrate 'Haya Day' (the day of piety) on March 8
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One of the
biggest challenges comes from Prime Minister Imran Khan's populist government,
which has unleashed a crackdown on NGOs. Authorities accuse women's rights
groups of receiving foreign funds and promoting Western values in the country.
In 2018, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government forcibly shut down 18
international NGOs.
"The
Aurat Azadi March does not receive funding from any institution or company. We
raise our own funds for the sake of our independence. The government wants to
discredit the movement," Ismat Shahjahan, president of the Women
Democratic Front, a coalition of women's rights groups, told DW.
A
'Western Concept'
"Feminism
is a foreign concept and these women (women's rights activists) get funding
from Europe and the US," Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, a writer and director who
is known for his opposition to the women's march and the "my body, my
choice" slogan, told DW. The 2019 women's march particularly angered the
conservative people in Pakistan because of the placards that the event's
participants used in their rallies. "Warm your own food," "My
body is not your battleground," and "Oh, I am sorry. Does this hurt
your male ego?" were some of the slogans that really irked them.
"If
these women stop using these shameless and dirty slogans, I would be their
biggest supporter. They should know that they can't get their rights by
snatching them from men and disrespecting their fathers and husbands,"
Qamar said, adding that the feminists are "destroying this country."
Rights
activists believe it is important to raise these slogans to challenge the
status-quo in Pakistan, which remains one of the most dangerous countries in
the world for women. According to the Journal Of Pakistan Medical Association,
"approximately 70 to 90% of Pakistani women are subjected to various forms
of domestic violence, including physical, mental and emotional abuse."
"When
women talk about themselves, or their body, it offends everyone because a
woman's body is considered a man's property," Tooba Syed, one of the
organizers of the Aurat Azadi March, told DW.
Activist
Shahjahan says that there have been "coordinated efforts" by the
state, media and right-wing groups to "twist" the feminist narrative
and discredit the movement.
Feminists
Face Increasing Threats
For some
years, religious groups in Pakistan have held their own events on International
Women's Day to counter feminists.
Last year,
the right-wing Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (JUI-F) party held a counter march and
pelted stones at the women's march participants in the capital Islamabad.
Women wings
of religious parties also organize the "Haya Day" (the day of piety)
on March 8 to promote Islamic values about women.
Samia
Raheel Qazi of the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party says that men and women
have their separate places and roles in Islam. She told DW that her party has
been holding International Women's Day rallies since 1995, and that this year's
theme will be "strong families build strong societies."
Shaheer
Sialvi, a right-wing youth activist, told DW that religious groups will also
hold a rally to honour Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who was found
guilty in 2010 by a New York court of trying to kill US servicemen in
Afghanistan.
Rights
activist Syed believes counter-rallies pose a security threat to their march.
After last year's attack on the Aurat Azadi March participants, the organizers
have taken measures to defend themselves, she said.
"As
the government doesn't care about our safety and dignity, we have to protect
ourselves," she said.
Original
Headline: Why Women's Day march irks
conservative Pakistanis
Source: DW Made for Minds
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/aurat-azadi-march-pakistan-facing/d/124512