So we all know about Aurat March, right? We witnessed that iconic moment when so many who identify as female, from ALL communities and backgrounds gathered together for womanhood. While the majority of people acknowledged the significance of such events in a patriarchal society like ours but there are some whose men whose masculinity is so fragile that they’re unable to digest women holding posters by women, for women and about women.
Basically, a local Facebook page has been promoting a silly campaign where men in Karachi are planning a “Mard March”
This is in apparently in response to the powerful Aurat March that was held on International Women’s Day in several cities across Pakistan. Someone needs to tell this page that this is not only terribly tone deaf, it’s actually pretty offensive to positive causes to align with such a disgustingly infantile campaign.
The Mard March, which comes as a response to the Aurat March has actually set social media on fire because of some actually offensive posters
Yes, some posters on Aurat March may have crossed a couple lines but you need to understand that it was part of a largely valid protest and the whole essence of a “protest” is to vent out one’s anger or frustration about systemic abuse or oppression. Women AND men have only been oppressed because of patriarchy and this is what Aurat March was all about. It would only help you to read this post by my colleague who beautifully explains it all in great detail.
In an unsurprising development, some men are supporting this new “counter march”
This Man Has Separate Fan Base💕💕#Mardmarch pic.twitter.com/fDwuv6L9gY
— Mukhtiar Khan (@Mukhtiarkhan678) March 11, 2019
Not really supporting a gender war whether its aurat march or mard march but i am all for this. pic.twitter.com/aPtHH0lbww
— Usman (@BeingMU) March 11, 2019
Best One So Far! #MardMarch pic.twitter.com/KKbTb97gHE
— 🇵🇰 (@KaptaanDeadPool) March 11, 2019
But more surprisingly, some women also critiqued the Aurat March and appreciated these men for coming up with a Mard March 🤦♀️
Yeah more power to you boyss 💪there is no badtameezi in #MardMarch like #AuratAzadiMarch2019 was full of badtameezi no respect for, fathers brothers ! no respect even for women! Aurat Azaadi March was all about hatred for men ! feminist tries to spread hate nothing else pic.twitter.com/jxGzeaFKTA
— Mariam Jamali 🇵🇰 (@Mariam_Jamali) March 11, 2019
A majority of people, though, are NOT happy with this idea of the Mard March
They rightly pointed out that conducting a Mard March in a society where men are generally more privileged and safer literally made no sense.
Lmaooo… what a joke men are.. in an already patriarchal country they went out for Mard March.
I'm sure they will be holding all the licentious placards to ridicule women so that male fragile ego can be sated.— ماراں جوتی؟؟؟ (@AemunSh3rwanee_) March 11, 2019
Women said that it’s sad and pathetic to see men addressing their insecurities via a counter march to the one where women celebrated their own gender
Some very insecure men have organized a response to #AuratMarch — #MardMarch.
This is so sad and pathetic. pic.twitter.com/FS5YltMXVT
— Sameera Khan (@SameeraKhan) March 11, 2019
People went on to say that this particular move by men just aimed to satisfy their ego because the men were clearly in ‘pain’
Those who were bashing Aurat March yesterday, for demanding rights and raising the issues that they gave daily. In their DM's and homes. Kindly check "mard march" and you'll yourself see how far men can go Just to satisfy their ego's with irrelevant and unnecessary shit
— 🐾 (@AhsanDot10_) March 11, 2019
Makes one wonder the level of butthurt these guys have been going through to organise a whole #MardMarch in REACTION :'D
— MC Girgit (@TheChameleon84) March 11, 2019
This is not Mard March, this is Shadeed Qisam ka Dard march.
Itna Dard Kiu?
— Farrukh Abbas (@Farrukh_Abbas12) March 11, 2019
They clearly said kay sab mardon ka naam kharab horaha hai
There were some posters at the aurat march which were absolutely absurd and baseless But this Mard March thing is absolutely pathetic and disgusting
Kya Ghatya Log Hain Iss Mulk Keh.
Sahi mardoun ka naam kharab kia hua hai.— AhmedBasit16 (@AhmedBasit16) March 11, 2019
A few even said that it’s nothing more than an attention seeking act
Mard march? More like “Hum tuttain hain humain attention do” https://t.co/jxyUXVUh63
— arsal (@lowkeyarsal) March 11, 2019
Some even tried to meme the entire situation
No offense intended but can a situation like this be meme-ed?
No one :
Literally no one:
Mard March : pic.twitter.com/Ez9oBT9bZS
— Farrukh Abbas (@Farrukh_Abbas12) March 11, 2019
#MardMarch 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/gu2Zo0pfaM
— VinoD🇵🇰 (@Viniii112) March 11, 2019
The entire concept of a Mard March has been under severe criticism by all and a lot of people are asserting that it makes no sense in a patriarchal society which already puts men on a higher pedestal at the cost of women and other sexual minorities. It is being said that the idea of empowering women via Aurat March has triggered a few chauvinist men who now desperately want to satisfy their egos.
Guys, let women have their day. You actually have an International Men’s Day and you can do your own thing on this day.
So what’s your stance about these weird AF posters? Let us know in the comments below.
Cover image via: FHM Pakistan / Facebook