Young singer talks women's rights in new song 'Mera Jism Meri Marzi'

Sophia Jamil, also known as Fifi, says the song is a tribute to Pakistani women who are trying to make their mark in Pakistan

Hamza Azhar Salam

Murtaza Ali Shah

April 13, 2020

Instagram/Sophia Jamil (@fifisdiary)/via Geo.tv

LONDON/NEW YORK: A New York-based Pakistani singer has highlighted women’s rights in the Pakistani context in her recently-released song titled "Mera Jism Meri Marzi."

Sophia Jamil, also known as Fifi, said the song is a tribute to Pakistani women who are trying to make their mark in Pakistan by standing up for their rights.

The slogan 'Mera Jism Meri Marzi,' or 'My Body My Choice,' became popular in the advent of Aurat March — a women's rights movement that spread across Pakistan and held its rally for the third consecutive year. Despite opposition from multiple quarters in the country, Pakistani women — including Jamil who hails from Chitral but lives in New York — have used art and music to highlight the issue of women's rights.

Speaking to Geo.tv, Jamil, 22, said: "I watched women and men come out in masses on the streets to protest for equality ... they called it the Aurat March and I was in awe.

"I was taking a closer look at the banners that the people were holding, which said all sorts of things from talking about the wage gap to talking about honour killings and acid attacks, all the posters so creative and colourful," she added.

Jamil — whose spent her early childhood in Pakistan but was raised in New York City — further stated that she used the slogan 'Mera Jism Meri Marzi' as the hook line for her song as she went in depth to discuss all the social issues that it encompassed. She has received critical acclaim on her song from numerous Pakistani women as it resonated with them.

Aurat March 2020: Demonstrations held to celebrate womanhood, demand equality

A corporate lawyer who took part in the Aurat March 2020 said: "Fifi's song is a great way to highlight women's rights. I hope it has a strong impact on the masses who sadly, don't believe women should have equal rights."

Speaking on the controversy surrounding her song, the young singer said: "There will always be critics but anyone who thinks that woman asking for equal rights has anything to do with some 'Western propaganda' needs to look at the facts.

"There are real issues that woman are facing in Pakistan, such as the highest gender wage gap in the world, more than 1,000 honour killings a year, child brides, acid attacks, human trafficking, and the list goes on, unfortunately.

"Some of these issues not only pertain to women in Pakistan but to women all across the world, including the US."

After the song went viral on social media, the Aurat March organisers got in touch with Jamil and thanked her for raising their voice. The singer has now taken a gap year from college to pursue music on a full-time basis.

The full lyrics are:

"Mera Jism Meri Marzi

Say it loud and proud

Mera Jism Meri Marzi

Stand with my crowd

Breaking glass ceilings

making our mark

We were in the dark

Lit it up with a spark

Aurat kya chahti?

We want equal rights

Wage gap too high