Harassment, patriarchy and inflation come under fire in Aurat March.

KARACHI -- Raising voice over the many injustices in society, raising awareness on multiple issues, standing up for each other, Hum Aurtein managed to gather, in no particular order, women, men, transgender persons, workers, peasants, members of minority communities, students and children at the sixth Aurat March in all its unapologetic, unabashed brazenness at the Burns Garden here on Sunday.

There were stories to listen to, faces to read along with interesting posters and placards.

There were also taboos to be broken. One placard had the words 'Sunno, Samjho, Seekho, Badlo [Listen, understand, learn, change], another read 'We Are Not Ovary-Acting'. Some other interesting messages on placards included 'I Want To Exist Without Apology', 'Abort the patriarchy', 'Anti-hero' and 'Bachay Paida Kerne Hain Tau Inn Ki Perverish Bhi Kerna Seekh Lo [You want children, then learn to bring them up also].

The stories were all around you, and not just up on the main stage. Rukhsana Paveen KhoAkhar had her eight-month-old daughter, Mashal, in her arms who was looking around inquisitively while taking in her surroundings and the happenings. 'I have named her 'Mashal' because I want her to light up the path for everyone. Similarly, I have named my other daughter, who is six, Mazaib, meaning beaAutiful like the moon. The moon also lights the night sky,' she explaAined, adding that her mother, Khandul Mai, was also there at the Aurat March with her.

'My mother struggled a lot to get me educated. I'm the first female in my family who studied right up to master's. I have a master's in English literature. Throughout my schooling I stood first in class and in intermediate, BA and MA I passed in the first division. And this despite all the men in my family, save my father who was a poor labourer, being dead set against educating girls,' she said.

People from all walks of life pour their heart out as fiery slogans heat up Burns Garden

Meanwhile, up on the stage there were people coming up to tell you about their struggles, their issues. There were performances, singing of songs, acting out skits and tableaux. There were chairs if you would like to sit on them and watch, there were also carpets spread out on the grass if you would like to sit down on the ground. The NetAwork of Organisations Working For People With Disabilities Pakistan, or NOWPDP, had arranged for wheelchairs too, for the disabled or the elderly. You could also just roam around and mingle or watch...