ISLAMABAD: Carrying a poster that read, ‘Girls just want to reach home safe’, a 56-year-old man said he participated in the Aurat March every year for the women in his family.

“I am here today for all the womenfolk in my household, which include my mother, wife, and daughters; all they want is to remain safe from harassment when they go out,” he said.

Another marcher, Nayab Ali, a transgender rights activist who had contested the Feb 8 general elections, was participating to condemn the suppression that marginalised groups were subjected to.

“Not only women, but other marginalised segments of society face discrimination and distress in this patriarchal society,” Ms Ali said.

Like every year, this year too, a large number of activists and other people took part in the Aurat March that is organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Though the day celebrates women and their achievements, Aurat March participants take the opportunity to raise their voice against the discrimination, violence, and harassment women and transgender persons have to face.

This year’s theme was ‘Resistance and Hope’.

Holding banners and placards, the marchers gathered outside the National Press Club on Friday.

A number of speakers on the occasion called for an end to gender-based violence and asked the government to take action against cyber harassment against women, minorities, and children and ensure economic justice for women labourers.

They also demanded equal access to universal education and healthcare for all genders and the proper implementation of the political rights of women and the rights of religious minorities.

Former member of the Women Action Forum, Rukhsana Rashid, 68, who was present at the event, said she had been advocating and marching for women’s rights all her life.

“Asking for our rights is not un-Islamic; we march for our rights so that those at the helm resolve our issues,” she said, adding that it was important for women to leave their houses for this cause.

Addressing the protesters, Nayab Ali demanded that the state protect all marginalised groups and women and bring them out of the constant state of fear that they lived in.

“This march has given us a platform to raise our voice against suppression and has proved to be very helpful in achieving some of our demands in the past years,” she said.

However, the event was not restricted to demands for the well-being of women, as many participants wanted the government to put an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of individuals, play an active role in ending the genocidal war in Gaza, and focus on peaceful ties with neighbouring countries.

As the march was about to proceed towards D-Chowk, the road outside the press club was blocked with barbed wires by the police.

The organisers of Aurat March tried to negotiate with the police, but they were not allowed to move towards D-Chowk.

The participants then decided to remain outside the National Press Club and move ahead with their event.

Criticising the police’s action, Bariya Shah, one of the organisers, accused the police of forcing them to stay outside the National Press Club.

“An elderly participant and even pregnant women were pushed back by the women police personnel. Though I protested against their behaviour, they did not stop,” she said.

Dr Farzana Bari, a women’s rights activist, said there was a lot of ‘pressure’ on them even though it was their right to protest, especially on International Women’s Day.

“I strongly condemn this oppression; it is shameful that they are resorting to such forceful measures to stop us,” she said.

Despite the challenges faced by both participants and organisers, they celebrated the occasion to the fullest with songs and performances.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2024