#AuratMarch2019 is getting all sorts of reactions, from bemusement to outrage, it has stirred discussions all over the country. People are discussing the slogans written on the placards; some are being applauded, some are being mocked and made fun of, but as long as people are talking about it, I believe the purpose of this march is fulfilled.

Every single poster used in the rally had a context and addressed some serious issues faced by women. These slogans had to be one-liners as nobody writes whole essays on placards to make their point. These slogans had to be sassy, sarcastic, and rude to catch the public’s attention but it doesn’t mean they were promoting negativity. I’ll try to explain a few of the more “offensive” slogans:

1- Lo, beth gai sahi se.

The ‘character’ of women is judged by the way they walk or sit which is ridiculous. Women in Pakistan are bound by convention to sit on one side of motorbikes with their legs closed because apparently sitting on a motorcycle with a leg on each side (which is the proper way) is ‘wahiyat’. Sitting to one side is dangerous and can cause accidents but hamari ghairat jaag jati hai.

2- Tu karey tou stud, main kerun tou slut

It points out the hypocrisy of our society. What’s wrong for one should be wrong for both: males and females. How come smoking harms the lungs of men but also the character of women? How come a man having affairs is a stud but women doing the same is a slut? How come a man who is bold and confident is attractive but a bold woman is kharab? Jo ghalat hai, woh sab k lye ghalat hai. Jo sahi hai, woh sab k lye sahi hai.

3- Agar dopatta itna pasand hai tou ankhon py bandh lo.

You can’t dictate a woman on how to dress. A dopatta doesn’t determine the character of a woman. People argue that Pakistan is an Islamic country but what we need to understand is not everyone practices and interprets religion in the same manner and not everyone is Muslim. People should have rights to dress the way they want to. If a girl doesn’t want to dress in Eastern clothes, you are no one to force her or curse her. Let people be. Please?

4- Mujhe kia maloom tumhara moza kahan hai?

This one is my personal favorite. This poster defies the gender roles determined by Pakistan’s patriarchal society that women are/should be home-makers. When a woman marries a guy, she’s not adopting a child that she should mother. By keeping a check on his food, clothes, even socks! Same goes for sisters and other female figures in men’s lives who are somehow responsible for ironing clothes, finding your lost matching socks, polishing your shoes etc. If you’re a grown-up, manage your own life, please. It’s plain ridiculous for a grown man to need a woman to find his socks, right? Right? Not to forget, hundreds of wives suffer physical abuse at the hands of their husbands for things as trivial as khanay main taiz namak or not being able to find his lost sock.

Let’s not hate on feminism and do our part to make Pakistani society accommodating for all genders. Shukria.

By Annum Salahuddin

Former Chairperson of the IEEE Women In Engineering UET Peshawar Chapter, Annum is an engineer working in the telecom sector and an ardent food blogger. You can find her here on instagram.