Images

This year’s Karachi Aurat March is being held on Mother’s Day to pay tribute to their unpaid labour

This year’s Karachi Aurat March is being held on Mother’s Day to pay tribute to their unpaid labour

The organisers called for socioeconomic and political change in the system during a press conference on Saturday.
08 Mar, 2025

This year’s Aurat March in Karachi has been shifted to May 11 because many women have added responsibilities during Ramazan, the organisers said at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday afternoon. “Every day is Women’s Day,” they chanted.

The press conference was addressed by activist Sheema Kermani, minority rights activist Ghazala Shafique, journalist Fahmida Riaz, transgender activist Aradhiya Khan, lawyer Sara Malkani, Aisha Dharejo, and Peace and Development Organisation CEO Safina Javed, among others.

It started with the organisers stating their basic demands and manifesto. “We march because we want socioeconomic and political change of the current system, and an end to all forms of patriarchal discrimination, gender-based violence, inequality and injustice,” read a statement the organisers issued during the press conference.

Lawyer Malkani highlighted two statistics regarding women’s issues in Pakistan citing patriarchy as the underlying reason. “Twelve million girls in the country are of school-going age but remain out of school,” she said. “Even in 2025, a pregnant woman loses her life to a health-related complication every 50 minutes,” she added, which was followed by chants of “aurat ki sehat, bunyaadi haq [women’s health is a basic right]” and “aurat ki taleem, bunyaadi haq [women’s education is a basic right]”.

For the first time in eight years, the annual march is not being held in Karachi on or around International Women’s Day. This year, it is being held on May 11 in Karachi. It was held in Lahore on February 23 and held on International Women’s Day (today) in Islamabad.

The rationale behind the decision to shift the date to Mother’s Day is that May is associated with Labour Day and mothers are the biggest unpaid labourers.

“Without women’s labour, without women’s work, there would be no society,” read their statement. “Thus, every day is Women’s Day.”

Dharejo pointed out the recurring issues of honour killing, rape, and harassment in upper Sindh, highlighting that there are no medical officers available when a woman is subjected to honour killing.

Transgender rights activist Khan said the Aurat March has supported her community over the years. She pointed out an increase in hate speech against the transgender community in recent years, urging the government to take serious action and notice against it. “In 2025, it’s very easy to make a video of someone [on the internet] but the consequences of that one video are huge.”

Activist and representative of the fisherfolk community Fatima Majeed highlighted the effects of climate change on women from Thatta, Sujawal and Badin, particularly because of a lack of fresh water in the Indus Delta. “Unlike Karachi, the women have no alternative source of income,” she said.

Comments

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Mar 08, 2025 06:48pm
United we stand, divided we fall.
Recommend
Taj Ahmad Mar 08, 2025 07:05pm
All women’s are respectful, we as men’s must do our part to make them happy with all love and support.
Recommend
Ali Mar 08, 2025 07:58pm
Being a mother is unpaid labor? No it's not you're are getting paid not only in monetary terms, but you're also receiving a lifetime supply of love, care, and devotion from your children and husband. You're getting a free pass to luxury, with amenities like a roof over your head, financial security, shopping sprees, vacations, and countless other perks. And you have the audacity to claim you're not getting paid?! Get real!
Recommend
Farrukh Sahito Mar 09, 2025 10:30am
Thanks for not making a mess in the Holly Month of Ramadan.
Recommend
Ms.Rizvi Mar 10, 2025 08:07am
I’m a woman and a dedicated and caring mother. Everything can’t and shouldn’t be monetized. Being a mother is an absolute delight and nature’s blessing. Attaching money with it, turns a beautiful and organic act into a financial transaction which is actually degrading it to a much lower level along with reducing it into a resentment and an accounting balance sheet. Why is Aurat March focused on bitterness and retribution? instead of celebrating women who are resilient, wonderful and absolutely magnificent.
Recommend
Laila Mar 10, 2025 08:14am
Sadly mostly male opponents will not read the article but proceed to tell women, when they can or cannot march and that islam gives them all rights (as if Pak society is equal to islam) and all the usual BS accusations without proof. The collective denial and ignorance are both symptomatic of Pakistan and its inability to ensure safety, rights, protection for females both inside and outside the home. This is all deliberate. They don't want people marching for basic female rights because this will shift the inequal power balance of misogynists and patriarchs. Nobody likes to lose power, control and therethrough afforded benefits. I have never heard people decry naseeb' of males. Yet society has deluded and indoctrinated itself to believe females have rights and everything is just rosy red. All talk of rights, autonomy, independence, consent are foreign. Before AM none of the opponents ever opined, protested, marched or demanded rights for females. But they also don't want others to do something about this. Well they will protest. They will march. AM is here to stay. Irrespective of the character assassinations, mockery, false accusations, threats, violence and opposition against them. To get change you have to take a stand. At least they are taking a stand. One step at a time. Actual change may take centuries for Pakistan.
Recommend
Laila Mar 10, 2025 01:29pm
I could not agree more, Dhuha (such a pretty name). We don't accept accountability and proactivity. Instead we await miracles. Its a nationwide disease. It took 70+ years for Palestine for an end - to the continuous war by Israel - to be realistic and result of protests to be measurable and visible. 70+ years, Kashmir is still fighting for freedom. So obviously with AM starting out in 2018 in a country, deeply rooted in misogyny and patriarchy with 95% ignorance and denial on societal issues, it will take time. 70+ years and Pakistan has not become more inclusive or safer for women, nor economically viable despite changing governments, billions of $$ in aid/loans, yet people vote and protest for their political parties. The irony is indeed lost on us. Its simple. We won't do anything ourselves but we also won't allow others to do anything. In islam fighting against oppression is farz (we are warned hypocrites will mock you) and to bring change people start somewhere. Male opponents of AM even went as far as threatening organizers and public supporters with rape on their social media peppered with vile disgusting misogynistic verbal abuse. Yes, because that certainly proves AM is not needed... The opponents of AM are the same people who never in their life dared to protest for (and never will), the lack of rights and security for females, instead writing it off as 'larki ka naseeb'. Where were all these people before 2018? Yes, lets just pretend Pakistani females suffer from 'extremely bad naseeb'. You can never convince or satisfy majority Pakistanis, as you are up against a rigid regressive mindset of denial and bad faith. So don't. Just keep working. Slow but steady. I will definitely look up some of your projects and support as much as I can.
Recommend
Laila Mar 10, 2025 02:36pm
@Ali "free pass to luxury, shopping sprees, vacations" are not perks afforded to all mothers in Pakistan where majority struggle to pay utility bills. Most women live in joint families enjoying "perks" like 24/7 servitude to in-laws even when fullterm pregnant and shortly after delivery. Also womens right to a "roof over her head", "amenities" and all their needs apply to all wives, whether they are mothers or not, is ordered on men in the Qur'an. You make it sound like a husbands duty towards his wife is an act of charity or generosity.
Recommend
Ahmed Mar 10, 2025 02:54pm
AM cannot acurive anything. March all you want.
Recommend