Guftagu #7: Aurat March (with Marvi Sirmed)

“Here’s the thing: these are actual women. The slogans that you see, each slogan is a story in itself and the women who are holding these slogans, they have lived those stories. And if they do not come out and tell their stories, we will never know what kind of experiences these women have to face throughout their lives which men and the entire patriarchal structure takes for granted.”

This week, we speak to Marvi Sirmed, a journalist and humans rights activist based in Pakistan who has long been a prominent feminist voice in the country. We sit down to discuss the Aurat March, translated as Women's March, an annual demonstration in celebration of International Women's Day. The Aurat March is now an important symbol for women's voice, strength and freedom in the country. We break down the origins and history of the March, its importance for the cause of Pakistani women's rights and the various critiques that are levied at demonstrators almost every year.

Trigger warning: This episode discusses r*pe and sex*al as*ault from minutes 18:30 to 21: 30

Guftagu, a podcast in collaboration with the Pakistan Society featuring conversations around South Asian social issues, culture and identity. This episode was produced and presented by Viniyya Ikram Rao. The music was created by The Tamashbeens, check them out on Spotify!