With International Women’s Day around the corner, and preparations for “Aurat March” in full swing, there has been a lot of misunderstanding regarding one particular slogan “Mera Jism, Meri Marzi (My Body, My Choice)”. While some oblivious individuals consider this as a claim to want to roam the streets naked, the slogan stands for more than just choice of clothing.
What Does “MERA JISM, MERI MARZI MEAN”?
*That nobody touch my body without my permission
*That nobody ogles me when I walk down the street
*That nobody harasses me at work
*That I am not married off before I am ready for it
*That I am allowed to receive the education that I deserve
*That I am allowed to work after working hard at school
*That I am not married off to end the fight between two warring families
*That I am not forced to have a baby before my body is ready for it
*That I am not married off when I am 12 years old – not only is it barbaric but it is also ILLEGAL
*That I am not used as a term of abuse in a fight between two men
*That I am allowed to marry who I please and my decision to do so does not get me killed (HONOR KILLINGS)
*That acid is not thrown on my face when I reject a proposal
*That I am not called characterless for smoking (SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH REGARDLESS OF GENDER)
*That I am not blamed when I report a case of rape or harassment
*That my dressing is not blamed for when a man crosses a boundary
*That I am allowed to exercise all the rights given to me under the Constitution of Pakistan
*That I am considered a human before someone’s wife, sister, mother or daughter.
Here is what Shehzad Roy thinks of the slogan:
