Each year since the @auratmarch began, it’s posters have been under constant fire by aunties and uncles of our society whose opinions have been influenced by the prejudiced media and religious fanatics. Every slogan, chant and text on the posters comes from a place of endurance, anger, love, rage and heartbreak that women and girls experience on a daily basis in our beloved country, Pakistan. Instead of shouting over us, for a change really listen to us. I find it appalling that something like ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’ can be interpreted as anything but a basic human right that is rightfully every woman’s. Our bodies belong to us, this earth and our Gods, no one else. Here are some of the beautiful, colourful posters I was able to photograph during the Aurat March. It’s one of my favorite things about the March, each year I’m excited to see what new ideas and designs my sisters, friends and fellow comrades will come up with! Kudos for all the efforts put in by each individual who made a poster and carried it at the March! You all are my heroines/heroes ♥️♥️♥️ #auratmarch #auratmarch2022 #auratmarchkarachi #auratmarchpakistan (at باغ جناح مزار قائد) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca9zDDTJlqX/?utm_medium=tumblr

And now, we’ll talk about marriage and the labor we put into it. For those of us who choose to marry, marriage further perpetuates the responsibility and gendered division of labor as an unspoken expectation in a legal contract. The burden to create and reform families is placed on us. We become victims to patriarchy’s invisible hand that reinforces our forced roles in families. If we demand recompensation or simply want a break, we are reminded of the good partner/wife, who is expected to take care of everyone but not to expect much in return. If we don’t follow, we are shamed or threatened with censure or violence. We are told ‘acha, tum theek karlogey’, ‘ab theek hojayega’ ‘larkay ki shaadi kar den aap, uski biwi usko theek karday gi.’ We are expected to surrender ourselves for the emotional comfort of others and become vessels for the pain of our partners and our families. The burden of bringing families together and the family unit’s very survival (read izzat) is placed squarely on us. It’s ironic that when a marriage ends, we are left with nothing for the work we have done to sustain the home or maintain life for others. Some of us do the work of birthing, however, all of us do the work of rearing and socializing the young, which is central to any functioning society. We believe this work is central to the process of social (re)production, caring for the elderly, those who have disabilities, maintaining households & family members, building communities, and marching on the streets to claim our basic rights. We will continue to demand our basic rights of Ujrat, Tahafuz and Sukoon! This is my poster contribution for @auratmarch on this year’s theme, ‘Labor and Leisure’. This poster is available for free download (link in bio): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fnhcreeihezsefa/AAAT7-OCrwkV7ZEwGYjOy2xOa?dl=0 #HamariMehnatHamaraHaq #UjratTahaffuzaurSukoon #5YearsofAuratMarch #auratmarch #auratmarch2022 #auratmarchkarachi #laborandleisure (at Karachi, Pakistan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CargoHhL4_r/?utm_medium=tumblr