No Aurat March but ‘sit-in dharna with SOPs’ to be held this year

KARACHI: The Aurat March announced on Sunday that it had called off its annual march due to the prevalent situation of the coronavirus. However, the management announced that a “sit-in dharna with SOPs” will be held to highlight women’s issues.

“Due to COVID-19, we have taken the last few weeks to understand that we cannot have a march. However, our resistance will not stop & on 8 March 2021, we will do a sit-in dharna with SOPs to demand an end to injustice, violence, patriarchy, to systemic inequality and repression,” tweeted the account.

Due to COVID-19, we have taken the last few weeks to understand that we cannot have a march. However, our resistance will not stop & on 8 March 2021, we will do a sit-in dharna with SOPs to demand an end to injustice, violence, patriarchy, to systemic inequality and repression.

— Aurat March – عورت مارچ (@AuratMarchKHI) February 21, 2021

The Aurat March is held every March 8 on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Held in several cities across the country, the march aims to highlight cases of misogyny and propagate women’s rights.

However, the movement has recently become polarised with many people criticising the language used in the placards held by people who partake in the march.