History of Aurat March – What have we achieved so far?

March 8 is celebrated as International Women’s Day around the world, including Pakistan. Considering this, many questions seem to be raised as to why this day is celebrated.

What are the reasons behind celebrating this day? And what are the facts behind the celebration of this day, on the basis of which this day has been attributed to Women’s Day?

History of Women’s March  

A historical study of this day reveals that on March 8, 1907, women working 10 hours a day in a garment factory in New York City, USA, staged a demonstration to reduce working hours, The women demanded that they be given equal rights with the men, on which the police tortured the women and later arrested the protesting women. 

Following this incident, the International Conference on Women began to be held every year in European countries. First, in 1909, the Socialist Party of America passed a resolution celebrating Women’s Day. Until 1913, Women’s Day was celebrated on the last Sunday of February every year. Then, in 1913, International Women’s Day was celebrated in Russia for the first time. The first socialist state, the Soviet Union, officially declared March 8 as National Women’s Day. 

Under Article 3 of the Constitution of Pakistan, it is the responsibility of the state to eradicate all forms of exploitation, but women are the victims of double exploitation. The status of women is secondary in most families of Pakistan. This tradition is practiced equally in state institutions and non-state institutions. 

What does Islam say?

If we study Islamic history, the protection of women’s rights has been done about fourteen hundred years ago. A study of history reveals that the honour that Islam has bestowed on women is perhaps unmatched by any other religion because Islam is the only religion that has come to prevent daughters from being buried alive. She commands respect for women as well as their protection.

Islam has made men and women equal in deeds and rewards. Thus, it has been made clear in the Qur’an that men have a share of their earnings and women have a share of their earnings and (both) ask Allah for His bounty (Surat an-Nisa ’32).

Numerous verses and hadiths are found regarding the rights of women, as the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “In the case of women, be afraid of God.” Islam is the only religion that has given all rights to women, Islam has given dignity to humanity by removing women from humiliation and degradation, Islam has given all rights to women and even given them a share in the property.

Importance of Women’s March

Women’s march is very important for society to some extent because there are countless women in Pakistan who are sexually harassed daily, become victims of acid attacks, and even fall prey to so-called ‘honour killing’.  The Noor Mukadam murder case is also a case of violence against women.

In an interview regarding the Women’s March, one of the activists said that the points and demands put forward in the march are not controversial but are made controversial. These people do not want women to talk about their rights. According to them, the purpose of making the demands presented in the Women’s March controversial is an excuse to suppress our voice.

He said that Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, wife of the first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan had done a lot for women’s rights. According to him, Quaid-e-Azam had also made it clear that the country would not be able to move forward if women were not free.

Results obtained

The results of the Women’s March show that this march is necessary to some extent because there are innumerable women in society who hide many things out of fear of stigma and the world. The participants of the women’s march should hold their rallies in the rural areas instead of the cities so that the women there can know their real rights.