LAHORE: A young feminist movement that has faced criticism for being influenced by Western values teamed up with a veteran activist group to mark Pakistan’s national women’s day on Wednesday. Aurat March emerged in 2018 alongside International Women’s Day but has faced a fierce backlash, accused of vulgarity and threatening family values for focusing on issues such as divorce, harassment and consent.

It joined Women’s Action Forum (WAF) for the first time this year to commemorate February 12, 1983, when women staged a milestone demonstration against military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq. “We want to celebrate and honor the women who have fought for women’s rights from 1983 to now and even before that,” Haiqa Nasir, a member of Aurat March in Lahore, told AFP.

More than 300 women and men marched in the city in Pakistan’s east carrying placards reading “freedom, security, peace”. In much of conservative, deeply patriarchal Pakistan, cultural expectations prevent women from freely choosing who to marry, their education and right to work. “Now, it is our time to go — we are here to hand over the reins to the younger generation,” said 79-year-old WAF member Khawar Mumtaz.

Mumtaz took part in the 1983 demonstration in Lahore that was brutally suppressed with tear gas and baton charges. “They beat us with sticks, some people fainted, others got injured. No woman in Pakistan had ever been in such a protest before that day,” she said. WAF activist Erum Malik said partnering with Aurat March was “a step forward”. “Movements take generations to reach their goals,” she told AFP. “It’s about our yesterdays, today and tomorrows.” — AFP