Dawn Images

Demonstrators gathered at Clifton’s Beach View Park on Sunday for the annual Aurat March in Karachi. Shadowed by the arrests of women’s rights activists on Tuesday and only permitted under restrictions on what can be said, brought and worn; the event attracted a crowd of a few hundred people at the venue.

Despite the restrictions, many important subjects of women’s rights were highlighted, including the right to bodily autonomy — the march’s now-signature slogan “Mera jism, meri marzi (My body, my choice)” was raised loudly, proudly and frequently — freedom of movement and marital rape.

Marital rape was especially significant to the organisers this year in light of the death of Shanti, a 19-year-old newlywed from Lyari whose succumbed to her injuries in July after her husband allegedly subjected her to brutal sexual violence just two days after their wedding.

Shanti’s bari (a collection of wedding gifts given by the groom’s family) was laid out on a white sheet at the venue. It was a chilling reminder of her hopes, dreams and a life lost too soon.

Speakers at the march, including Shanti’s sister-in-law who gave a rousing speech in Sindhi, called for the cancellation of bail granted to Dr Rauf Shaikh. The doctor told the victim’s father-in-law he could treat her when staff at Karachi’s Civil Hospital said the nature of the injuries demanded police involvement.

Dr Shaikh is accused of providing improper care to Shanti, with a report from the Women’s Action Forum saying she may have survived had she been treated properly. He was granted bail by the Sindh High Court on January 26.

The right to hold the protest itself was a hot topic, with veteran artist and women’s rights activist Sheema Kermani saying nothing could stop women from exercising their “constitutional right” to protest.

Speaking to Images after the event, she described her own experience being taken into police custody outside Karachi Press Club. “Male policemen forcefully hit my car. They forced the backdoor open and sat inside.” She said this act was actually illegal as opposed to what she was arrested for — attending a pre-arranged press conference.

She described the restrictions placed on the protest as “absolutely nonsensical”. “We resisted Ziaul Haq who told us how to dress, wear this and don’t wear that, we won’t take it from a democratic government.”

The march had a number of performances, including a rap, a semi-classical kathak dance and a rendition of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s resistance anthem ‘Hum Dekhenge’. Maha Ali Kazmi, who performed kathak on stage, said she marched — and performed — to raise awareness, not just among men, but also women who didn’t know what their rights are, who had been conditioned to accept abuse.

She said it was okay and important to talk about these things, despite society telling women not to. “It’s a criminal offence to harass somebody. Domestic violence is a criminal offence, rape is a criminal offence, marital rape is a criminal offence, but talking about our experiences is not a crime.”

One new feature was the Misogynist of the Year awards, a collection of men nominated by the public who had been chosen as representation of all that is wrong with Pakistani men. The honourees included Maulana Fazlur Rehman, writer Khalilur Rehman Qamar, actors Danish Taimoor and Ahmed Ali Butt and podcast host Sahil Adeem.

Huda, who organises marches in solidarity with the people of Palestine, said she was attending her first Aurat March this year to honour all the women before her who couldn’t demand their rights like this. “From my grandmother and my mother’s time, there’s no one who’s been speaking for these things. Everyone’s speaking at home, but nobody is taking it [out onto the] roads, because, as they say, aurton ki izzat sarkon pe nhi aani chahiye (women’s respect doesn’t belong on roads).”

Cherona, a volunteer participating in her third march this year, said she saw the annual event as an entry point for women into politics. “I think this is a great stepping stone for women to get into the political space.”

She said the movement wasn’t just about the annual protest march and its team tries to inform policymaking on women’s issues. The Aurat March is also involved in welfare activities for women in underdeveloped areas and organises free medical camps for women who need them.

She said the march was a safe space for all genders and one for men to interact with women in a way that is civil and non-threatening. She said she was thankful to the police for keeping the march safe and running smoothly.

Police presence at the march was initially scattered, with the odd policeman seen brandishing a baton at the park’s perimeter to scare away disruptive onlookers. When the procession began moving from its gathering point at Beach View Park to Seaview, female police officers escorted the march all the way. Additional mounted units joined the rally at the beach.

Cover via Shakeel Adil/White Star