( ur, ; ) is a slogan used by feminists in Pakistan to demand

bodily autonomy Bodily integrity is the inviolability of the physical body and emphasizes the importance of personal autonomy, self-ownership, and self-determination of human beings over their own bodies. In the field of human rights, violation of the bodily int ...

and protest

gender-based violence Gender-related violence or gender-based violence includes any kind of violence directed against people due to their gender or gender identification. Types of gender-related violence include: * Violence against women (sometimes referred to simply as ...

. The slogan was popularized during the

Aurat March The Aurat March ( ur, or , English: Women's March) is an annual socio-political demonstration in Pakistani cities such as Lahore, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Faisalabad, Multan, Quetta, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar to observe International Women ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, which has been observed on

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

since 2018.

Origin and background

The slogan was first chanted in Pakistan during the 2018

. Protestors and organizers carried signs with different slogans, including . The march came under harsh criticism from conservatives, who said that the march opposed typical religious and cultural values of

Pakistani society The Culture of Pakistan ( ur, ) is very unique in terms of its social values revolving around the religion of Islam. The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia South Asia is the souther ...

, which is

patriarchal Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of Dominance hierarchy, dominance and Social privilege, privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical Anthropology, anthropological term for families or clans controll ...

and predominantly Muslim. These conservatives said that the slogan was a call for vulgarity and nudity. However,

feminists Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male poi ...

said that the slogan should be interpreted in a broader sense: they were protesting against abuse and harassment. More specifically, they use the slogan because they believe that women should not be touched or pursued sexually against their will. According to Muhammad Anwar Nasar, the slogan is symbolic, not literal. The expression underlines the

structural violence Structural violence is a form of violence wherein some social structure or social institution may harm people by preventing them from meeting their basic needs. The term was coined by Norwegian sociologist Johan Galtung, who introduced it in his ...

, injustices, and inequality inflicted on Pakistani women. By using this slogan, Pakistani feminists protest

honor killing An honor killing (American English), honour killing (Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of t ...

acid attack An acid attack, also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, tortu ...

s, harassment in public places and offices, child rape, forced pregnancy,

female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

, forced

child marriages Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a m ...

, the

vani Vani ( ka, ვანი) is a town in Imereti region of a western Georgia, at the Sulori river (a tributary of the Rioni river), 41 km southwest from the regional capital Kutaisi. The town with the population of 3,744 (2014) is an administra ...

custom, and

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

. The slogan also demands an equitable world without sexism. Zainab Najeeb, a reporter, advises opponents of the slogan not to misinterpret the language. Conservative opponents have said that the slogan supports prostitution and attacks morality; Najeeb disagrees. She contends that women are humans, and as humans they should have

. She argues that both the Constitution and Islamic texts recognize women as human beings, so no contradiction exists between the slogan and religious society. Najeeb asserts that is a declaration of women's independence: the slogan defends a woman's right to dress as she pleases, to receive medical help without fear of social taboos, to be seen as a human rather than a "piece of meat", to choose a partner or to not have a partner at all, and to protect herself from harassment.

Usage

The slogan was first used in Pakistan during the Aurat March in 2018. It saw use again during the 2019 Aurat March. It has been hotly debated in the Pakistan media and on social media platforms. For the most part, the slogan has been criticized for not conforming to social norms. Feminists promote the slogan with the

hashtag A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...

#MeraJismMeriMarzi on social media platforms. Those who oppose the slogan use the hashtag #WeRejectMeraJismMeriMarzi.

Variations

The slogan has led to new slogans. During the 2020 Aurat March, many protestors used slogans with similar meanings, such as: * (; ) * (; ) * (; ) * (; ) * (; ) * (; ) Other heavily criticized slogans used during the Aurat March include: * ("Why do I adopt the

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...

because of your bad habit of ogling?") * ("If you like the scarf so much, then tie it around your eyes") * ("If you do it, you're a stud, but if I do it, I'm a slut") * ("Ready the food yourself")

Criticism

The religious right criticized and other slogans, including those mentioned above, because they believed that the slogans went against traditional values. Clergy labeled the slogan indecent, and a

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

panel called it "immoral". It was also criticized for not addressing the real issues that

women in Pakistan Women in Pakistan make up 48.76% of the population according to the 2017 census of Pakistan. Women in Pakistan have played an important role throughout Pakistan's history and they are allowed to vote in elections since 1956. In Pakistan, women ...

face. ''Mera Jism Meri Marzi'' was discussed extensively on social media, and many conservatives started campaigns against it. It became a major tool in online fights, with both liberals and conservatives using the slogan to defend their own opinions or degrade others. The slogan was also debated in national media, with women's rights activists vouching for it and clergy calling it un-Islamic. Feminists defended the slogan, citing a February 2020 honor killing in which two brothers killed their sister and her child after the sister married a person of her own choice; the feiminists viewed the murder as an attack on the sister's bodily autonomy.

Controversies

Writer Khalil ur Rehman Qamar appeared on a talk show on

Neo News Neo News is a 24 hours national Urdu language news and current affairs television channel operating in Pakistan. It is governed and operated by the FUN infotainment Pvt. Ltd. Its a part of Nai Baat Media Network. Its head office is situated at L ...

. During the debate, feminist activist Marvi Sirmed interrupted him by chanting "". He retaliated with sexist remarks and comments about her body, which led some to boycott him. He had previously been criticized for some of his remarks on his drama ''

Meray Paas Tum Ho ''Meray Paas Tum Ho'' (; ) is a 2019 Pakistani romantic drama television series produced by Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib under their production banner Six Sigma Plus. Directed by Nadeem Baig and written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, the show s ...

'', which were interpreted as misogynistic. However, many people on social media defended Khalil ur Rehman Qamar and supported his statements. Owing to the ongoing debate over , the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (

PEMRA Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) ( ur, ) is an independent and constitutionally established federal institution responsible for regulating and issuing channel licenses for establishment of the mass media culture, print a ...

) released an advisory restricting media houses from broadcasting the slogan. A case was filed in

Lahore High Court The Lahore High Court () is based in Lahore, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on 21 March 1882. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over Punjab (Pakistan). The High Court's principal seat is in Lahore, but there are benches in th ...

to stop the Aurat March, and certain feminist slogans such as were discussed during the hearing; however, the court allowed the march on the condition that no discriminatory or immoral slogans be used. Another case was also filed in the

Islamabad High Court The Islamabad High Court is the senior court of the Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, with appellate jurisdiction over the following district courts: * Islamabad District Court (East) * Islamabad District Court (West) Justice Aamer Far ...

to stop the Aurat March. The court asked the petitioner how these slogans are un-Islamic and dismissed the petition.

Reciprocal slogans and meme war

In response to the

, some men organized the Mard March () in Islamabad. Many carried signs with slogans spoofing , including ("Kill the lizard yourself"), ("Ladies first, when will there be gents first?"), and ("My eyes, my choice").

BBC Urdu BBC Urdu ( ur, ) is the Urdu language station of the BBC World Service, accompanied by its website, which serves as a news portal and provides online access to radio broadcasts. The radio service is broadcast from Broadcasting House in London an ...

reports that women who supported the slogan in previous marches complain that they have received rape and death threats. They also say that some men have used the slogan to trivialize women's issues or to justify masturbating and flashing in public places. Others have misappropriated the slogan to mock serious crimes and deny equal opportunities to women.

In popular media and culture

* 'Aurat Gardi', a web series by

Javeria Saud Javeria Saud (née Jalil) is a Pakistani television actress, producer, singer, and host. She is best known for playing the protagonist Jameela in Geo TV's television drama series ''Yeh Zindagi Hai'' (2008–2013). She is married to the film and ...

, endorsed the slogan.

References

External links

{{Wikiquote, Mera Jism Meri Marzi
Aurat March
on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

. Feminist terminology Gender-related stereotypes Urdu-language words and phrases Feminist works Women's rights in Pakistan Feminism in Pakistan