In spaces of silence, whether public or domestic, abuse prevails; millions of women globally are united by their embodied knowledge of sexual assault and harm. Over the past decade, women have begun subverting the status quo by breaking this silence to create a voice for all survivors. Although abuse thrives in the dark, social media has acted as a light and haven for women to negate isolation and empower one another to heal. Above all– it has brought to centre-stage raw stories that cannot be ignored, and highlighted an immense problem embedded within patriarchal society. This article examines the profound impact that the #MeToo movement has had on Pakistan, illuminating the emergence of slogans specific to the country which confront complex issues of gender-based violence and encourage reform.
In 2018, American Tarana Burke manifested a global butterfly effect from a viral tweet she composed on Twitter asking women to respond with "me too" if they experienced sexual harassment or assault. During a tumultuous uproar due to the assaults Harvey Weinstein committed having come to light, this hashtag grew to represent solidarity, community, and an end to the isolation of suppressed and silenced stories (Garcia).
As the #MeToo movement grew famous across North America, women worldwide watched this movement as voyeurs of women uniting to subvert hegemonic patriarchal ideals. Through immense influence and inspiration, Pakistani women united and followed their American counterparts via nationwide marches; however, the lack of media attention, understanding, or social care for Pakistani women can be identified by a quote by April Reign– creator of another viral hashtag, #OscarSoWhite: "White women have not been as supportive as they could have been of women of color when they experience targeted abuse and harassment" (Garcia). Although Pakistani women are left without the aid and support of white women, the country united and cultivated tailored slogans to lead a movement specific to the issues overwhelming the nation. The hypocrisy of white women neglecting women of colour within America, let alone the world, reveals a catastrophic crack within paraded paradigms of unity, intersectionality, and community.
On International Women's Day in 2018, Pakistani women mirrored the #MeToo movement and marched nationwide in an "Aurat March," meaning Women's March, protesting national hegemonic patriarchal structures reflected within domestic spheres. The most popular slogan utilized by these women is "یرا جسم میری مرضی"– "My Body, My Choice" (Azeem). As reporter Zainab Najeeb notes, "Feminism in Pakistan is labelled as a Western import, a dehistoricized, decontextualized, exclusively bourgeois, unrelatable and limited phenomenon to the point where this label is used as a substitute for facts." What appears superficially is a progressive country that holds women in high esteem, as seen via Islamic text and Benazir Bhutto being a long-standing prime minister.
Pakistani issues of gender-based violence cannot be reduced to catcalls and glances– the women who bravely marched sought reform to ideals such as virginity testing, honour killings, rape, unequal pay, notions of modesty, dowry, and the treatment of wives as slaves. To vocally agree with feminist ideals and pursue women's liberation beyond what is superficial designated women as traitors to the country, lowly, and sinners. When Pakistani actress Mahira Khan spoke about what the "My Body My Choice" movement stood for, she received immense backlash and mockery, often citing that as a divorcee and entertainer, she possessed no value or worth to be able to speak on said issues (Daily Pakistan).
Instagram user @blogbyafifa shared photos of the Mard March (Men's March) in response to the Aurat March, one of which contained a man with a poster stating "Mera Nazr, Mera Marzi"– best translated as "My eyes/sight/gaze, my choice," thus mocking the women's slogan.
During these marches, several slogans manifested and gained popularity that directly reflected the reality of Pakistani women. Primarily, #KhaanaKhudGaramKarLo, meaning "Warm Your Food Yourself," gained immense traction as subservience and obedience are expected of wives towards their husbands– failing to see to their every need, such as heating food, could be the cause of great suffering and abuse for the wife and family. Similarly, posters created have stated, "Ghar ka Kaam, Sab ka Kaam," meaning housework is everyone's work. When women marry into blended families, they take on the household's needs and see to every task taken care of. Men are not encouraged to assist due to notions of housework being a task for inferior individuals. From an Islamic perspective, posters also state, "you like the headscarf so much, tie it around your eyes," and "Saying 'Mashallah' does not make your harassment halal." Both target men utilizing religion to uphold their morals, ideals, and desires and assert that women do not answer to men (Najeeb). These slogans powerfully subvert the unstable dichotomy between men and women as they vocalize years of silent pain, suffering, and depression.
Although White Western women do not discuss issues outside that directly impact them in public and cyber spaces, as noted by April Reign, they foster immense resilience, courage, and ingenuity in Pakistani women. The profound influence of slogans to encompass immense complexities is a testament to the power of collective voices; however, had Western women truly embodied the #MeToo movement's pursuit of uniting women and removing barriers contributing to isolation and abuse, the Pakistani women would not have had to suffer alone as voyeurs and ultimately protest with tremendous backlash and fear. Western women are in positions of privilege that many Pakistani women cannot grasp as a possible reality. Although the #MeToo slogan immensely united White western women, they neglected their role on the world stage and hypocritically mimicked exclusionary men who objectified and ignored women.
By contrast, the Aurat march has grown to unite women of all walks of life– from the predominantly Muslim Punjabi to the Pagan Kalashi groups isolated in mountain ranges and from the outcasted trans community to sex workers in red-light districts– regardless of internal hate towards varying groups, all women united to help one another and build a better country.
What began as a mere conception of a tweet by Tarana Burke produced a butterfly effect that led to worldwide protests, uproar, and unity of women via shared stories of abuse and sexual assault. Although attitudes and approaches are shifting in America, such as the implementation of workplace harassment policies, and in Pakistan, new laws such as chemical castration and the death penalty in some cases for rape cases, women still require the aid and support of everyone globally. Slogans vocalize the emotional complexities within gender-based violence that cannot be ignored and ripple across the world; however, ultimate change requires true intersectionality free of bias, ego, and individuality.
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“@Blogbyafifa.” Instagram, 11 Mar. 2019, www.instagram.com/p/Bu5LhjIHo3P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.
Akeem, Tehreem. “Pakistan’s Women Marched for Their Rights. Then the Backlash Came.” The Diplomat, for The Diplomat, 20 Mar. 2019, thediplomat.com/2019/03/pakistans-women-marched-for-their-rights-then-the-backlash-came/.
Garcia, Sandra E. “The Woman Who Created #MeToo Long before Hashtags.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/us/me-too-movement-tarana-burke.html.
“Mahira Khan Faces Backlash for Supporting Mera Jism Meri Marzi Slogan.” Daily Pakistan Global, Daily Pakistan Global, 4 Mar. 2021, en.dailypakistan.com.pk/04-Mar-2021/mahira-khan-faces-backlash-for-supporting-mera-jism-meri-marzi-slogan.
Najeeb, Zainab. “Aurat March 2020: A Case for ‘scandalous’ Slogans: Special Report.” Thenews, The News International, 8 Mar. 2020, www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/624735-a-case-for-scandalous-slogans.
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