By Mariam · Debate Series: Feminism
Motion: "This house believes that Women's Day marches in Pakistan are necessary and do not distract from women's real problems."
Few events divide Pakistani public opinion as sharply as the Aurat March. For some people it is a rare space where women speak openly about violence, unpaid work and consent. For others it is a loud event, led by a small urban group, that offends social values and pulls attention away from basic issues like education, health and safety. This post lays out the background, the numbers and the strongest arguments on both sides, so you can debate the motion either way, or decide for yourself.
In this post
1. Background: How Did We Get Here?
The Aurat March ("Women's March") began in Karachi on 8 March 2018, International Women's Day, when hundreds of women marched with hand-made placards demanding social change. Marches later spread to Lahore, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Multan and other cities. The marches are run by local volunteer groups in each city rather than by a single organisation.
The idea of women marching in Pakistan is older than 2018. Women's activism has a long history here, including the Women's Action Forum (founded 1981) and the well-known women's protest in Lahore on 12 February 1983 against discriminatory laws, which women's groups still commemorate. The 2018 march built on that tradition, with a new generation, new slogans and social media.
The slogans that started the storm
- "Mera jism meri marzi" (my body, my choice): The most controversial slogan. Supporters say it is about consent, bodily safety and freedom from forced marriage and violence. Critics say it sounds immoral and against religious and cultural values.
- "Khud khana garam karlo" (heat your food yourself): A joke that raises a serious issue, the unpaid housework women do every day.
Legal and social pushback
- Petitions were filed to stop the marches over their slogans. The Islamabad High Court dismissed one such petition, saying slogans should be understood in light of the marchers' intent. A separate attempt to ban the march was also rejected by the Lahore High Court.
- Organisers have repeatedly faced problems with permission, routes and security. In 2023, Lahore marchers reportedly could not go ahead until a court intervened. In 2025, Islamabad police blocked marchers from reaching D-Chowk, and the march was called off.
- Researchers note that 2021 was especially hard, with several blasphemy cases filed against organisers and marchers.
2. The Numbers Behind the Debate
Both sides in this debate agree that women in Pakistan face serious problems. The disagreement is about how to raise them. Here is some data you can use.
- Economic participation and opportunity: 147th, parity score 34.7%.
- Educational attainment: 137th, 85.1%. This was the only area that improved.
- Health and survival: 131st, 95.9%.
- Political empowerment: 118th, 11.0%.
- "Honour" killings: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) recorded 346 people killed in "honour" crimes from January to November 2024. Its data cited 490 incidents in 2023 and 590 deaths in 2022. Another rights-group report puts the 2024 total at 405. These figures differ because groups count and report in different ways, so always cite the source and the year.
Notice what these numbers show. The problems are real and wide-ranging (work, politics, safety), and each side of the debate uses the same data to argue a different point.
3. The Case FOR the Marches
Argument 1: Marches make hidden problems visible
Many women's problems, such as unpaid housework, street harassment and pressure in marriage, are treated as "private" matters. Activists say the march helped bring these issues into public conversation. Journalist Sabahat Zakariya, a regular at the Lahore march, says it put intangible issues like unpaid domestic labour into public debate.
Argument 2: Peaceful protest is a right
Peaceful assembly and free speech are democratic rights. Courts have dismissed petitions to ban the march, and the Islamabad High Court said slogans should be read according to the intent of the marchers. Supporters ask: if the law allows the march, should women's voices be judged more harshly than others'?
Argument 3: Protest and policy work together
Laws against violence exist on paper, but implementation is weak. Public pressure often comes first. Activists point out that the 2016 strengthening of Pakistan's anti-"honour"-killing law followed years of public outrage and campaigning, including after the murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch. Marches keep that pressure alive, they argue.
Argument 4: The backlash shows why it is needed
When women gather publicly and face blocked roads, court cases and, in some years, blasphemy accusations, supporters say this proves how difficult it still is for women to speak in public. In their view, the strength of the reaction is itself evidence of the problem.
Argument 5: Feminism is plural
The march is not owned by one group of women. Different chapters raise different issues, from workplace rights to domestic violence to disability and labour. Supporters say judging the whole movement by one slogan is unfair.
4. The Case AGAINST (the "Distraction" Argument)
Argument 1: Slogans take over the story
Critics say public discussion focuses on a few controversial slogans instead of the laws, budgets and services women need. When every news cycle is about one banner, they argue, the real policy demands disappear. Interestingly, even some people sympathetic to the march say the media's focus on slogans has hurt its message.
Argument 2: A narrow base
Some critics say the march mostly reflects the views of an urban, educated, English-speaking group. Scholar Dr Feroza Batool, who has studied the backlash, has said the movement has become less inclusive and has drifted away from local organisations and unions. If this is true, they argue, rural women who face the harshest problems may not feel represented.
Argument 3: Cultural and religious concerns
Many Pakistanis feel that some slogans and banners go against religious and cultural values. Critics argue that a movement which offends many people will struggle to win them over, and may even harden attitudes against women's rights in general.
Argument 4: Daily needs come first
For millions of women, the urgent problems are access to schools, healthcare, safe transport and paid work. Critics ask whether a yearly march is the best tool compared with long-term work in communities, courts and local government.
Argument 5: Momentum has faded
Researchers and participants themselves have said the march has become "dull" and defensive in recent years, with placards often responding to media criticism rather than setting a fresh agenda.
5. The Middle Ground
Many thoughtful people take a position between the two. They say:
- Peaceful marches are a legitimate right, and the movement should show clearly how marches link to concrete demands such as stronger enforcement of existing laws.
- Street protest and everyday work (legal aid, shelters, schooling, labour rights) complement each other. Neither replaces the other.
- The movement can widen its voice by working with rural women, labour groups and local organisations.
- Media and public debate should focus on the full list of demands, not on one slogan.
In a debate, showing that you understand this middle ground often makes your side stronger, because it proves you have considered the opposing view.
6. Linking the Debate to Feminist Theory
| Theory or idea | How it applies to the Aurat March debate |
|---|---|
| "The personal is political" (second-wave feminism) | Housework, marriage and safety look private but are shaped by power; marches take them into public space |
| Patriarchy | Opposition and blocked routes can be read as signs of male-dominated control of public space |
| Intersectionality (Kimberlé Crenshaw) | A woman's experience depends on class, region and religion; critics ask whether the march represents all of them |
| Postcolonial feminism (Mohanty, Spivak) | Warns against copying Western feminist models without local context, and against treating Pakistani women as one group |
| Performativity (Judith Butler) | Public protest is itself a performance that challenges what "proper" womanhood looks like |
| Postfeminism | Critics ask whether some forms of "empowerment" culture on social media replace collective political action |
7. Debate Preparation Kit
Sample opening for the FOR side
"Honourable judges, the question today is not whether Pakistani women face serious problems. Every figure agrees that they do. Pakistan was ranked 148th out of 148 countries in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report. The question is whether women have the right to speak about those problems in public. We say they do, and that peaceful marches are one of the tools that keep the issue alive."
Sample opening for the AGAINST side
"Honourable judges, we do not deny that women's problems are real. We ask a different question: does an annual march solve them? When the debate is dominated by one slogan, when the movement is seen as distant from rural women, and when real needs like schools, clinics and safe transport are waiting, we believe time, energy and public attention are being misdirected."
Common rebuttals
| If the other side says... | You can reply... |
|---|---|
| "The march distracts from real issues." | Show that the march's placards and speeches cover real issues (work, safety, harassment). Ask for evidence that marches reduce attention to other work, rather than adding to it. |
| "The slogans are offensive." | Point to what organisers say the slogans mean, and to the court's view that slogans should be read in light of intent. Add that offence is not the same as harm. |
| "It only represents elite women." | Admit that criticism is raised even by researchers, then show that different city chapters raise different issues, and that the cure for narrowness is wider participation, not silence. |
| "Marches don't change laws." | Point to how public pressure has helped legal change, such as the 2016 anti-"honour"-killing amendment, while admitting that enforcement is the real gap. |
| "Protest is not the Pakistani way." | Remind them of the long history of women's protest in Pakistan, including 1983 in Lahore. |
Questions to ask the other side (cross-examination)
- Which women's issue would receive more attention if the march did not exist?
- Who decides which forms of protest are "acceptable", and why?
- If a slogan is wrong, is a ban the right response, or more debate?
- What practical alternative do you offer for the problems in the data?
Tips for a respectful debate
- Argue about ideas, not about individuals or their families.
- Always give the source and the year when you quote a number.
- Do not use slogans as a weapon. Explain what they mean from both viewpoints.
- End with a clear call: what should the audience think or do after your speech?
Quick glossary
- Aurat March: "Women's March", held around International Women's Day (8 March) in several Pakistani cities.
- NOC: No-objection certificate; official permission often required to hold a public gathering.
- Patriarchy: A system in which men hold most social power.
- Bodily autonomy: The right to make decisions about your own body.
- Implementation gap: The distance between a law on paper and how it works in real life.
Sources and Notes
- Dawn, Pakistan ranks lowest among 148 countries in WEF's Global Gender Gap Index 2025.
- Dawn, HRCP data on honour killings in Pakistan (346 killings January to November 2024; 490 incidents in 2023; 590 deaths in 2022).
- Dawn, Report on the Islamabad Aurat March, 8 March 2025.
- Freethinker, From the streets to social change: examining the evolution of Pakistan's Aurat March (2024).
- Reports of a separate rights-group figure of 405 "honour" killings in 2024 are carried by several outlets, including News on AIR.
Note: Women's Action Forum (1981), the 12 February 1983 Lahore protest, and the 2016 anti-"honour"-killing law are well-documented historical events included from general knowledge; please verify dates in your course material before quoting them in an exam. Marches, permissions and court cases change from year to year, so check current news before a live debate. This post presents both sides for educational purposes and does not ask you to adopt either position. The diagrams are original illustrations made for this post.
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