The Problem with Mera Jism Meri Marzi

I know these 4 words make so may people’s blood boil far more than it ever would at the fact, that Pakistan is the 4th most dangerous country for women. The people of this country are angrier at this petty slogan than at the fact that 70% women in Pakistan have endured domestic violence in their lives, yes our mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunts and 5000 of those young beautiful, full of life, women die each year.

I know Mera Jism Meri Marzi is more a threat to many than 1500 annual acid attack on innocent women and 7000 honor crimes. I will chant Mera Jism Meri Marzi even louder because people who are telling the women who chose to come out of their homes, to shatter the patriarchy; people are telling them to go back to homes because maybe homes area safe haven little do they know that in Pakistan 82% rapes and sexual assaults are committed In homes; by cousins, uncles, sometimes even brothers and fathers.

The beautiful poeple of my country have created more hue and cry at a transgender dancing at Sufi kalam at the aurat march, which is in fact a very part of our south Asian culture stating that its anti Islam, and chose to stay silent at Hafiz e Quran who raped a teenager kid in mosque two days back.

I will chant Mera Jism Meri Marzi because you tell me if a girl was clothed properly she souldn’t have been raped in a country where they dig women out of graved to satisfy their lust. Women coming out to remind the society that we wont remain silent any more and demand their lawful rights are not a threats to morals and religion but your patriarchy that takes out a Haya walk resist Aurat match but I see no Haya walk when kids are raped in mosques, in the home of Allah.

24 hours in a day and in Pakistan, a woman gets raped every hour! Its so hard to even imagine that while you read this an innocent woman is being a victim of this horrendous crime.

In 2017 a transgender, Alisha was shot 4 times in face and when taken to lady reading hospital in Peshawar doctors could not decide which ward to take her to , the one for males or females and she died. She died because you don’t have a place for transgenders. 500 transgenders die every year. Because its their Jism and not their Marzi.

For the women who are in prison, 12% of them have their kids with them. Small kids with hopes and dreams living in grim environments of jail. Is this humane? Aurat march demands better for those kids. This is not how an Islamic Republic should treat innocent kids.

Lets talk about the P words as well. Yes Periods, we all bleed and yet you tax our sanitary pads in the category of luxury products. 78% Pakistani women have no hygienic ways to manage their periods. Because neither is this taught at schools nor we talk of it. We demand period leaves because in a survey me and my classmates conducted more than half of the women said they had to skip school or work because of pain from period.

We demand more quota for differently abled women and better facilities. As they face harassment and abuse much more than average women. These are the demands of Aurat march. The demands these people who spew hate at Aurat march won’t bother to study.

A thousand times Mera Jism Meri Marzi.