ISLAMABAD: This Sunday on March 8, a large number of protesters will be hitting the streets of cities across Pakistan for the Aurat March and the Aurat Azadi March.

Since 1921, March 8 is celebrated as International Women’s Day when Clara Zetkin, a women’s rights activist of German origin, proposed it to be the day to honor the hard work of women’s rights activists all over the world at a conference.

It was adopted by greater feminist movements in the 1960’s across countries and in 1975 was officially recognized and celebrated by the United Nations.

In some parts of the world, March 8 is like any other day of the year, but in other parts, it is celebrated, honored and now, more than ever, viewed as a day representing global protest and demand for change.

This year marks Pakistan’s third year of a significant and highly organized Aurat March and Aurat Azadi March, the latter of which takes place in the nation’s capital.

In 2017, following the election of Donald Trump in the US and the igniting of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, the US women’s march exceeded three million in numbers and also mobilized individuals in other nations.

However, the Aurat March, with or without that title, has been taking place in Pakistan since the country’s independence. Women taking to the streets and fighting for their rights is not new with historic marches taking place well before now, most memorably during the reign of the former dictator, General Ziaul Haq. Now, the digital age and social media have allowed the proponents of these movements to amplify their voices.

In the previous marches, the participants have called for a number of improvements to the lives of Pakistani women and other marginalized communities. The march organizers have also shared detailed manifestos across their social media accounts that are readily available for download from their respective sites.

The demands cover laws related to honor killings, reproductive health, education, employment opportunities, equality and safety in public as well as digital spaces. They also include reforms to the justice system to effectively deal with issues such as domestic violence, forced marriages, forced conversions, and protection against harassment.

Organizers of the marches have focused much of their efforts on bringing awareness to the issues they wish to address and that can help them galvanize members of other marginalized communities as well.

Last year, the march brought onto the streets thousands, and it is expected to draw people in greater numbers this year with more and more coverage of the march dominating headlines leading up to the day.

In Islamabad, the march will commence at 2:00 p.m. in front of the National Press Club in F6. Marches will also take place in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta and other cities.

For more information on marches near you, head to the verified Twitter accounts of Aurat March and Aurat Azadi March.