The phrase of ‘’Mera jism Meri Marzi’’ is being grossly misinterpreted in Pakistan ,Why we debate ‘’ My body my will?’’ it’s obvious, Is’t it ?
International women’s day on March 8th faced controversy due to Aurat Azadi March in Pakistan with slogan of Mera jism Meri Marzi , thus who not acceptable in our society .
Aurat march refers to protest organized in various cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, and Hyderabad to observed International women’s Day on March 8th 2018, and again the following years.
The March was organized in Karachi and Lahore by women’s collective called Hum Aurteen(we the women ), and in other part of the country ,including Quetta , Islamabad, Hyderabad, Mardan, and Faisalabad by women democratic front (WDF) ,Women Action Forum (WAF), and others.
It was endorsed by the Lady Health Workers Association, and included representative from multiple women’s right organizations.
The purpose of this movement for more accountability for violence against women, and to support for women who experienced violence and harassment at the hand of security forces, at home, in public places, and the workplaces. with the passage of time more and more women joined the march until the crowd became a tsunami, men and women carried posters bearing phrases such as ‘ khana khud garam ker lo’ ‘moza khud dhond lo’ etc . But! it was not just the placards slogans, who had the specific mindset working behind it, its alarming situation for our patriarchal society. Because, placards sounds not like a good.
Social Media and you tube video massages expressed Aurat March and started new debated on social media, and while watching the March in Pakistan, the people were divided in three groups some are in support, some are in opposed and majority of people are confused, for those who were Marching.
It would not be wrong to say that, Because of undisciplined- Placards, wrong sloganeering for women’s equality, stirred up in the patriarchal society.
Their slogans has shown off freedom of sexuality, there were few placards about real right of women that could be shown the movement is just men-hating or elitist but a movement that asks for public spaces.
By the way, people were taking this March against the men, and this march is not digested by men-ruling society ‘’mera jism meri marzi’’ ‘’apna khana garm krna sekh lia’’ lo beth gai saihi sy ’’ etc. these slogans expressed wrongly and receivers took message falsely and they understand this march against our religious and eastern social values, and this march, were criticized by many politicians, journalists, social activist and large number of people .
And in fact, it is suffering because of misinterpretation and misunderstood in Pakistan. Basically! ‘ My body My right’ is Amnesty global campaign to stop the control and criminalization of sexuality and reproduction. It’s your body. Know your rights.
Whoever you are, wherever you live, you have the right to make these choices without fear, violence or discrimination. Yet all over the world, people are bullied, discriminated against and arrested, simply for making choices about their bodies and their lives. A woman is refused contraception because she doesn’t have her husband’s permission. A teenager is denied a life-saving termination because abortion is illegal in her country. A man is harassed by the police because he’s gay.
Amnesty International, United Nation, and all have accepted this slogan as a basic human right neither women nor men, it’s for human means that our body will be ours body will be ours, that is, our decisions will be ours and we will also be responsible if we commit any crime. Now! there is an ambiguity that these words are taken from the English dictionary which means I have own body I have right (Mera Jism Mery Haqqoq),but in Pakistan this article has been misinterpreted My body my will (Mera jism Meri Marzi) which is not acceptable in our religious base society.
It’s obvious, it’s the fact that I have right over my body and NOT anyone else’s, but parents can make decisions regarding children and children who are mentally weak, but the rest should be empowered to make their own decisions regarding their own health, their education, their reproductive, it is surprising to discuss this issue because it is so, obvious!
Since, this sentence was misinterpreted, the impression of the sentence was that as you get a license afterwards, you are now free to do whatever you want. There is no restriction. No its totally opposite regards of this slogan ‘ My body My right’ mean I’m responsible to my decisions I could be right or wrong.
If, we can test this thesis under the principle of dialectic. That is, whatever thesis you want to understand, you have to understand it in the opposite sense. For example: That means we have a right to our body. If it is our body that is entitled to another person then, is it acceptable it? No, we should have our own rights and the rights of anyone else. This is not a real thing.
UN WOMEN report accordingly ‘ Pakistan is the fifth populated country and the second largest south Asian country. The census also shows that men outnumbered women, where men are 51 per cent of the total population and women are 49 per cent.’
Pakistan has dual system of civil and sharia law , Despite it Child marriages (vani), watta satta , Dowry ,forced marriages ,Violence against women, Rape , Honour killings(karo kari) ,Acid attack , Rape by security forces, Marriage to Quran still remain and child rape child abuse (girl and boy) rate increase in Pakistan .
These all are major issues in Pakistan thus who belong to women. But due to the indecent posters and placards of this Women March, the society was divided into various factions in the debate over media and social media and no one was able to see the real issues of Women on Women’s day.
Shema Karmani said on Aurat March 2020:Q. when we asked about demands of Aurat March, A: First demand is that we should be considered women as a human being , you know one woman dies every three minutes in Pakistan because she has no maternity facilities, house violence, health issues , poverty , food issues are etc.
Q: when we asked about Placards? A: She added that this March is an open call for women and everyone to enter their slogans this March. We do not stop anyone neither do we police anyone nor do we censor anyone to write a slogan they write their own slogans voluntarily.
Very Nice