Aurat March 2021: What are participants demanding this year?

• Aurat March participants from each province had set forth a charter of demands for their respective govts to ensure rights of women, trans, and non-binary people.
• Participants from Karachi have set forth a 15-point agenda this year, while those from Multan have a 22-point agenda for 2021.
• Aurat March Lahore has set forth a 12-point agenda this year, while the demands of Aurat March Islamabad are linked to this year's theme of the crisis of care amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The much-awaited Aurat March is all set to take place on Monday, March 8, 2021, across Pakistan. The mission of the Aurat March is to unite women, trans, and nonbinary people for the cause of gender justice and bring about collective social change based on the principles of inclusion, dignity, freedom, and equality.

Like every year, participants from each province have set forth a charter of demands for their respective governments so that the rights of women, trans, and non-binary people from all backgrounds are ensured. 

Aurat March Karachi

In Karachi, participants of the Aurat March will raise voices on diverse issues affecting women, trans, and non-binary people, while also expressing solidarity with the connected nature of their struggles.

Participants have set forth a 15-point agenda this year for the provincial as well as the federal government. The agenda includes the demand to end violence against women, restructuring of the police department, creation of women's shelters, and bringing an end to forced conversions, among others. 

Aurat March Islamabad

Akin to Karachi, the demands of Aurat March Islamabad are linked to this year's theme of the crisis of care amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The issues Aurat March Islamabad have highlighted range from healthcare, economic justice, and patriarchal violence to disability justice and climate change crisis.

Aurat March Lahore

Participants of Aurat March Lahore have asked the government to increase the provincial health budget, the introduction of a universal healthcare system, the introduction of rehabilitative programmes to manage the long-term effects of violence and bringing reforms to the legal system to reduce gender-based violence, and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to gender minorities, among others. 

Aurat March Multan

Participants of the Aurat March Multan have set forth a 22-point agenda this year, demanding the government ensure adequate healthcare facilities for women and gender minorities, and free access to education for underprivileged, female children of remote areas — including those living in erstwhile FATA — among others.