Aurat March and the vicious cycles of propaganda
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Ever since Pakistan’s first Aurat (Women) March was held on International Women’s Day in 2018, a constant stream of abuse and threats have been unleashed on the organisers and its supporters, in the name of protecting socio-religious values.
Criticism ranging from the posters to the clothes worn by the demonstrators has been the topic of discussion and condemnation by a segment of society. So much has been written and said that it seems like the original purpose of celebrating women or introspecting about the role of women in today’s world, and the issues faced by them has been lost in baseless tirades and accusations being hurled around in mainstream media. It is unfortunate that the entire debate around the International Women Day in the country now revolves around the supposed ills and dangers posed by a woman’s rally to society.
The staggering malice and nastiness being propagated against women in our society, and their rights under the garb of protecting social values and norms is nothing new. The media circus in the last few days also makes it evident that despite some progression, our society is inherently misogynist, and cannot even bear the thought of women taking charge of their destiny or establishing their own agency. To be honest, it is nothing but a biproduct of decades of problematic misogynistic narratives being peddled in mainstream literature and entertainment.
Arts and culture have a big societal responsibility as they shape mindsets and form narratives. They are not just a source of entertainment and revenue, but form opinions. It is frightening to see how some of the media channels instead of setting up healthy debates and sharing of ideas, are deliberately inviting controversial people just to garner ratings and generating sensationalized headings for their two minutes of fame. This irresponsible behavior needs to be called out and condemned because of its problematic messaging as the broadcast is viewed by millions of people globally.
Pakistani women have reached space, made their mark as mountaineers, scientists, soldiers, bankers, fighter pilots, and served as military generals. Instead of celebrating their progress, the debate being peddled on the media revolves around placards and slogans used in previous rallies and what constitutes a good pious woman. It is disconcerting that in todays’ time and age, morality certificates are still being issued for women based on their clothes and opinion.
Sehar Kamran
The venom and malicious propaganda being unleashed against the women’s march is also indicative of the extremist attitude and lack of tolerance that prevails in our society. The extraordinary outrage against an otherwise harmless demonstration led and organized by women leads one to question whether our religio-social norms and values are so vulnerable that they are threatened by a demonstration titled Aurat Azadi, or women’s freedom march.
Despite the grave structural injustices and disadvantages, Pakistani women have reached space, made their mark as mountaineers, scientists, soldiers, bankers, fighter pilots, and served as military generals. Instead of celebrating their progress, the debate being peddled on the media revolves around placards and slogans used in previous rallies and what constitutes a good pious woman. It is disconcerting that in todays’ time and age, morality certificates are still being issued for women based on their clothes and opinion.
In a country which ranks only above Iraq and Yemen on the Gender Parity Index, where women are inherently at a disadvantage regarding access to education, healthcare and financial security, the biggest issue being discussed today revolves around the pros and cons of a women’s march. If nothing, it really gives some insight into the priorities of the people.
It is deeply troubling that filing petitions in courts, issuing direct threats to organizers and demonstrators, defacing murals celebrating women, threatening women on live television and harassing girls and women on social media supporting the march, are being considered ‘heroic’ by some in the society. It makes one question where we as a society are heading.
We live in a globalized world where a country’s image and reputation is based on how it ranks on the basic human rights chart. How much freedom has it granted to its citizens and how are women and other marginalized folks treated? Has anyone given a thought about how the optics of this unnecessary vitriol and criticism against a women’s rally, mainly by a segment of society led by men, is going to be portrayed on international media? Is Pakistan a country that is afraid of its women? What kind of an image do we want to send out to the world?
Introspection and a healthy exchange of ideas is the need of the hour. We can no longer suppress the voices of women and their rightful demands in the garb of protecting socio-religious values just because it hurts the fragile egos of some in society. Women constitute nearly half of the country’s population. True sustainable progress cannot be achieved without their complete participation, and as a nation, we need to open up to the realities of this constantly evolving world if we want to prosper.
- Sehar Kamran is the President of the Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies (CPGS), she is a prominent politician, acadmeician and practitioner in the areas of regional, international defense and strategic studies. Twitter @SeharKamran
