The women’s marches on 8th of March commemorating the International Women’s Day - locally called Aurat March (aurat=woman) have become quite a cultural spectacle in most large cities of Pakistan. These have also struck some very raw nerves in the traditionalist-conservative-religious(i.e. Islamic)- anti-Western camp who oppose the very holding of the Aurat March. Thus this is the latest battleground in the very charged battle of ideas and charged emotions in the country. Yesterday, the opposition insisted on holding their rallies at the very spot allowed by the local administration to the women marchers. One slogan from last year ("mayra jism, mayri marzi" roughly translated as “My body, My Determination” has really charged the whole country spurring immense creativity in banners and clever punch lines as well as memes and counter-narratives like "My body, God’s Determination."
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