Social Campaigns Driven by Emotion — Aurat March
Emotion is a powerful tool that can influence attitudes, feelings and most importantly decisions. The best example of emotional influence is seen in political campaigns throughout the world. To some extent, political power moves are driven by emotion and emotion is used as a tool to manipulate a certain group.
There is no denying that social campaigns have brought about both revolutions and utter chaos; however, there is a specific ongoing social campaign that grew from a rage to resist: Aurat (Women) March in Pakistan. This particular movement is significant because of how the voices of women in Pakistan have been silenced and there is a lack of fair representation.
What is Aurat March?
Aurat March is an initiative taken by the women of Pakistan solely to show resistance towards centuries of patriarchy. It is the visual representation of emotional campaigns where thousands of women were seen demanding safety and a seat at the table.
Feminism as a concept is rejected as a western ideology in Pakistan so the mere notion of having a women’s march is perceived foreign and futile. It is important to understand the difference between the agency given to privileged women compared to marginalised women. A woman choosing to speak up about injustice might be easier in other places, solely because of the resources available but the same scenario is not even a possibility for women in Pakistan, especially if they don’t belong from an upper class background.
Women in Pakistan have suffered from the rule of patriarchy that is only justified by two reasons: misinterpretation of religion and abuse of power.
So, to defy age old social institutions that dictate how to be a woman, women marching in the streets to demand their rights, which not only takes an immense amount of strength but creates a ripple effect on the entire country.
Changing the Narrative
The unique thing about this march was the visible ownership women possessed for themselves. The name in itself shows resilience. Foreign critics questioned the use of Aurat instead of Woman. In a world that communicates through a standard language (English), it is empowering to see the creativity in the resistance of these women. The word Aurat has limited a woman’s role to be of a mother or a wife. This is not to say that these are not notable roles of course, they have exceptional value. However, society chooses to overlook a woman as an individual and by using this movement to claim back what being an aurat means is the first step towards breaking glass ceilings.
Urdu is a ravishing language that can have a lot of meanings to the same word. Critics tend to overlook the representation these women are bringing on the world stage. The 2019 Aurat March consisted of slogans such as “pidarshahi ka jannazah” (carrying patriarchy’s funeral). This was the creative form of resistance that stems from a history of men looking down on women participating in funerals or any other activity outside the house.
Men in authority have used their position to use religion to change the mindset of both women and men. This in turn contributes to the view the world holds about Islam.
Islam does not oppress women, it was the first religion to give them rights. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said “Observe your duty to Allah in respect to the women, and treat them well”.
One must wonder then, why is that our society only uses religion to stop women from fighting for their haq (rights) and completely forget what the teachings of this religion when it comes to taking responsibility and providing them of their rights.
Impact and Resilience
Aurat March advocates for the education of young girls to be accessible because Islam has given them that right. The Aurat March calls out the same men who criticise it to be ‘un-islamic’ and remind them of their responsibility towards women — which is exactly what Islam preaches.
It revolutionised the society, because it turned heads around and sparked conversations across all platforms. Specifically, the awareness about real feminism spread widely because finally, it was by women for women.
Social Media plays a vital role in the 21st century movements and this was no exception. Aurat March is a community that welcomes anyone and everyone to support their cause through this art. This, in itself, highlights how the march has celebrated diversity and given a platform to all artists that feel like their work has been overshadowed.
However, it also offended many individuals such as Khalil- ur-Rehman, a Pakistani writer and director, who criticized the March saying “These days this azadi (independence) nonsense is going on but these are all angry women, God forbid”.
We live in a male dominated society with a belief that men do hold the power above women and if they choose to abuse it, there will be a lack of accountability for them. Deep down, women know this too. This is why the Aurat March was so significant because it rejected these notions and allowed women to gain freedom from their inner fear.
While there is still so much progress that needs to be made, this is the first step that is changing mindsets of a society that has limited a woman’s role to a wife and a mother. Women are now viewed as individuals that can be trailblazers, contribute to the growth of the economy, and strive to bring a change.
Aurat March has given young girls today the representation they have been dreaming of for years. They can now look up to these women and believe that their power exists within themselves and if anyone tries to strip them from their haq, they are entitled to raise a voice and become their own revolution.
