Pakistan's Gharidah Farooqi is not going to Aurat March, but why?

ISLAMABAD – The Aurat March is all set to take place today on Monday in accordance of International Women's Day in which a large number of women are participating for their rights but senior journalist and anchorperson Gharida Farooqi has proposed the cancellation of Women's March this year.

Taking it to social site Twitter, Farooqi wrote cases of COVID-19 are rising as the third wave of Covid-19 has hit Pakistan. She urges the participants to not hold Aurat March rallies, says gathering leads to spike in cases of the novel disease.

کروناکی پاکستان میں تیسری لہر۔کیسزخطرناک حدتک بڑھ رہے۔ذمہ دارشہری ذمہ دارعورت ہونیکےناطےمیں سمجھتی ہوں اِس سال عورت مارچ کوملتوی ہوناچاہئیے۔SOPsکاپرچارکیاجارہا ہےجوبہت اچھی بات ہےمگر جہاںgatheringہو وہاں خطرہ رہتاہے۔دنیابھرمیں خواتین نےpandemicکیخلاف سب سےزیادہ ذمہ داری دکھائی ہے

— Gharidah Farooqi (T.I.) (@GFarooqi) March 8, 2021

Women around the world have shown the greatest responsibility amid Covid pandemic, she added.

The number of Covid-19 cases has surged by around 50 per cent ever since the country's top health authorities eased restrictions late last month.

Earlier, the G for Gharidah host congratulated the women on Women's Day and asked them to break all the barriers.

Happy #InternationalWomensDay to all the women who make up this world. I #ChooseToChallenge normalcy for all of us. Whatever is considered ‘normal’ in society for us; break that! Break barriers. Fly high. More power to us all, to the world together ✌️✊💪 #IWD2021 #StaySafe

— Gharidah Farooqi (T.I.) (@GFarooqi) March 8, 2021

On the other hand, Aurat March participants from all provinces had set forth a charter of demands for their respective provincial governments to ensure the rights of women and non-binary people.

Aurat March participants have set forth a 15-point agenda for this year, while those from Multan come up 22-point agenda.

Saada haqq
Aithay rakh!

Here is our 15 point agenda for this year! It is a condensed version of our complete charter of demands & focuses broadly on the theme of gender-based violence inflicted upon women, transgender & non-binary persons.#AuratMarch2021#PatriarchyKaPandemic pic.twitter.com/TApDaKfmz5

— Aurat March - عورت مارچ (@AuratMarchKHI) March 7, 2021