IT IS MISOGYNY

Toxic Masculinity, A Root Cause for Mass Shootings

If a mass shooter doesn't have an assault rifle, he can't kill a mass number of people. This is crucial. However, if we want to eliminate this problem altogether, we also need to focus on the deeper reasons of how these killers are created.

Tirza Clarke listens as the names of victims of recent mass shootings are read aloud during a vigil at the Sunrise Amphitheater on May 28, 2022 in Sunrise, Florida. Moms Demand Action, a national organization that works to prevent gun violence, held the vigil to mourn the victims of the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

REAGAN ROSS

June 2, 2022

In 2009, I wrote a short op-ed for The Oregonian on why men—and it is almost always men—become mass shooters. Re-reading the piece, I think it still holds up fairly well, though what is distressing is how 13 years later, we still find ourselves with this disturbing phenomenon. Considering the massacre of little children at Robb Elementary School and the Buffalo massacre, I felt compelled to re-visit my thoughts, amplify some key points. Most pointedly, like so many others, I am especially tormented by this recent atrocity, the killing of children aged 9 thru 11. Like how I felt about the Sandy Hook tragedy, I cannot fathom how such horrors can be inflicted on our children. And like so many others, I am with those who stress guns as the simplest way to ameliorate these mass shootings. Gun regulation is absolutely essential to at least cutting down on the number of mass shootings, legislation like background checks and assault rifle bans especially—obviously—key to keep weapons of war out of the hands of potential deranged killers.

Monsters Are Not Born, They Are Created

But, to my mind, as I touched on in that earlier piece—titled "Young mena and violence"—to truly end these horrors and to just create a safer society in general, we need to get at the root causes of what turns these people/kids into killers. After all, as I've said so many times to whomever will listen, monsters are not born, they are created. And if we want to stop them from being created, just subjecting them to our hate and/or punishing them is not enough. We must get at the root causes of what creates them and stop them from being created.

While there are many root causes to this complex issue, to my mind, the most crucial element are toxic masculinity ideologies that create toxic masculinity men. I've been researching masculinity for over twenty years, and it has become clear to me that toxic masculinity ideologies (compounded by other toxic ideologies—I'll come back to this in a moment) are a crucial root cause for what is to my mind a deeply unhealthy (toxic) masculinity in our culture.

Defining Toxic Masculinity

By toxic masculinity ideologies I'm referring to patriarchy, phallocentrism, and hypermasculinity. Patriarchy is a way of being that entails normalizing such toxic attributes as dominance, power, control, and authority/hierarchizing. Patriarchy is associated with paternalism or what psychoanalyst/theorist Jacques Lacan called "the law of the father," the belief that men—and it usually is men though not always (think Margaret Thatcher!)—are the inexorable authority figure, determining the choices and ways of being of Others. Patriarchal/toxic masculinity men believe that this is their entitled position in the world and when they don't get it, they feel aggrieved. Phallocentrism is defined by how we center and encourage phallic (masculine) power, the phallus being a symbol for masculine power and that which is used to reinforce and prove one's masculinity. Guns of course are the prototypical phallic symbol of masculine power. Hypermasculinity is defined as the suppression of attributes ideologically associated with the "feminine" and the accentuation of those attributes ideologically defined as "masculine," e.g., the suppression of emotion and other "feminine" attributes (empathy, sympathy, compassion, etc.), dominating Others (people of color, people of different nationalities/ethnicities, women, LGBTQ+ people, those deemed un-masculine or "weak," etc.), violence as a natural and necessary outlet and response, stressing "manly" (phallic) characteristics and behavior (showy displays of one's power and dominance, etc.) and so on. All the above are the ingredients for creating sociopaths; all told, toxic masculinity ideologies turn men into unempathetic sociopaths.

Of course, only a tiny percentage of such toxic masculinity sociopaths become mass killers, but the point is not that this is the singular root cause but rather that it is a crucial base ingredient. I would argue that all toxic masculinity men are sociopaths, they just exhibit that sociopathy in different ways. In short, the combination of a striving for power, dominance, control, and authority—the constant need to reinforce one's sense of a phallic masculine self—combined with a low degree or even zero degree of empathy and compassion for Others creates the conditions for sociopathy. We see this not only with these (mostly white) male mass shooters (and other destructive males) but also with the men who create the conditions for these mass shooters to exist, phallic men both keeping in place this unhealthy and dangerous hypermasculinity in men (be "manly," don't show emotions, exert your authority, don't seek help for mental health issues, etc.) and giving such men an outlet to constantly reinforce their never ending need to reinforce their masculinity, whether that be in the form of phallic guns or seeing other people as Others. In terms of latter, toxic masculinity men have always needed an Other to differentiate the self, people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, Jewish people, etc. existing for them to constantly give them an Other that distinguishes their self as superior, the feeling and expression of "superiority" itself registering for them their sense of their own phallic (masculine) power. (I'm not specifically focusing on this element here but when toxic masculinity and white supremacy/xenophobia/LGBTQphobia/misogyny/anti-Semitism are combined we get yet another root cause for many of these mass shootings, the Buffalo mass shooting being the latest example.)

Compounding Toxic Ideologies

I should just touch on here a compounding element in this toxic stew, other toxic ideologies. Capitalism especially exacerbates toxic masculinity ideologies. In short, capitalism is a mercenary, predatory, survival of the fittest economic system/ideology and it breeds this way of being in people. Indeed, I would argue that capitalism is a patriarchy ideology, which is in part why it became the economic system/ideology of choice, since it too informs in so many ways toxic masculinity ways of being. One could even make the case that our most successful capitalists are successful because they must be sociopaths, their entire way of being living for constant and relentless—albeit unsustainable—profit increases and growth, which can only happen at the expense of Others and the planet, which are constantly dominated, controlled, and exploited. As I suggest above, other toxic ideologies also compound toxic masculinity ideologies, such as religious belief systems, white supremacy, and heteronormativity, all of which are Othering ideologies that potentially feed that need for toxic masculinity men to reinforce their sense of (superior) phallic power.

Of course, more pointedly, capitalism is also behind the drive by the NRA to keep assault rifles on the market, a key source of much of their profit and power. That, in turn, is why the NRA pours so much money into the coffers of politicians, mostly Republicans but some Democrats as well. Both the NRA and NRA owned politicians can't come out and say that, so they use toxic masculinity ideologies for their own self-interest, exploiting toxic masculinity ideologies in ways that feed toxic masculinity men's need for their phallic power, guns again being a key reinforcer but also just doing what right wingers have learned to do so well, create alternative realities (disinformation, conspiracy theories) that also feed into phallic drives that reinforce masculinity. We see this with the NRA's disinformation campaigns that Democrats wanting to ban assault rifles is just the first step to "taking your guns away." The many conspiracy theories on the dangers of our government all are based on the tried and true tactics of using fear, hatred, and rage to create a threat that needs to be engaged, the source of (white nationalist) militias and assault rifle ownership.

The Essential Need for Gun Safety

Bringing this back to mass shooters, the easiest response (or one would think!) to addressing this horrifying "new normal" we seem to have come to disturbingly accept is to just create stringent gun regulations, like so many other countries have done with success, especially in terms of banning these weapons of war (assault guns) and installing rigorous background checks. The common sense of this is incontrovertible: If a mass shooter doesn't have an assault rifle, he can't kill a mass number of people. For certain, that would cut way down on mass shooters, as it did during the time period that assault guns were actually banned in this country, from 1995 to 2004.

Making the Explicit Link to Mass Shooters

However, if we want to eliminate this problem altogether (and ameliorate other issues, such as the ever present threat of authoritarianism and fascism, which are direct toxic masculinity ideologies), we also need to focus on the root causes of these killers and that means understanding and addressing how these killers are created. The shooter who slaughtered our children at Robb Elementary purportedly had a speech impediment and was cruelly bullied when he was young, bullying also a symptom of our unhealthy toxic masculinity culture. He also apparently had a terrible home environment. Such an upbringing couldn't have but led to a thoroughly dysfunctional individual and untreated mental health issues. That doesn't mean of course that every such young person with mental illnesses will become a killer, but it does mean that many if not most toxic masculinity young men will have issues that left untreated could potentially lead to (self) destructive choices. That is, when young toxic masculinity men with mental illnesses grow up in a society permeated with toxic masculinity ideological indoctrination and messaging, that influence—that combination—can potentially lead to the most disturbing of (self) destructive choices.

More pointedly, like so many other young toxic masculinity males who are filled with a sense of victimization or lack of control—all of which for toxic masculinity males can only induce a feeling of emasculation—the Robb Elementary shooter chose to express that rage and hate in the only way that toxic masculinity men can, through acts of phallic violence. Most if not all shooters feel wronged or persecuted in some way and thus need to fight back in a way that gives them back a feeling of power and dominance and control—gives them back their sense of phallic power—mass shootings becoming one avenue to that end. Even the suicide aspect of this act could be seen as empowering, since this final act is part of their need to reassert control, not to mention that in their twisted minds, they can only see their heinous act as some glorious act of (phallic) retribution or pay back against a society that has caused them so much pain and suffering.

The Struggle for Fundamental Change Continues

In some ways, talking just about guns is an easy way out for well-intentioned (Democratic) politicians and pundits, since focusing on the real root causes—yes, toxic masculinity ideologies but also capitalism, consumerism, white supremacy/xenophobia, heteronormativity, misogyny—is challenging to say the least especially in terms of forcing us to confront aspects of ourselves that would necessitate real radical (progressive) change. But since the very politicians, pundits, and general populace who we need to enact such change are also deeply entwined in the very (toxic) ideological norms that we need to change, I'm afraid such changes mean a very long struggle indeed for those of us doing the heavy lifting of enacting such changes. Still, we have seen the beginnings of this radical change, both here in this country and around the world (for one thing, masculinity is getting healthier, especially with younger generations). And so even though this struggle to progress humanity to a more humanitarian way of being is long and hard and ongoing, it is happening and that becomes the impetus for all of us to never end the struggle for a better, healthier masculinity/humanity.

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.



REAGAN ROSS is an assistant professor at Montana State University. He teaches film and media studies, with a focus on gender studies and masculinity studies.

Tax the Patriarchy to Support Women and Families

Taxing the wealthy could support programs like universal childcare.
(Photo by Halfpoint Images/iStock via Getty Images)
Tax the Patriarchy to Support Women and Families

A new tool from the National Women’s Law Center shows how taxing billionaires could fund "long overdue" investments in the care economy.

REBEKAH ENTRALGO
Apr 17, 2023

Inequality.Org


While millions of households across the United States are scrambling to file — or extend — their taxes by the April 19th deadline, members of our billionaire class are doing a great deal more smiling than scrambling.

Why? Because the U.S. tax code is built to reward wealth over work and serves big corporate interests over working families.

Trillions of dollars goes untaxed each year, deftly squirreled away by tax professionals hired by the nation’s wealthy and powerful or left untouched because the federal government doesn’t tax wealth as it does income.

Individuals and families can’t solve the care crisis on their own. The economy cannot thrive if mothers, women, and caretakers continue to be crushed by the lack of investments in the care economy.

Over one recent five-year period, a bombshell ProPublica investigation from 2022 revealed, the 25 richest Americans paid a true tax rate of roughly 3.4 percent. This means nurses, teachers, firefighters, and other middle class frontline workers paid a larger share of their income in taxes than America’s billionaires.

Corporations, too, are skilled at avoiding taxation. In 2020, at least 55 of the largest corporations in America paid no federal corporate income taxes despite enjoying substantial pretax profits in the United States.

So what could we fund by creating a tax system where the wealthy (mostly white men) and corporations (mostly led by white men) pay their fair share? We could start by investing in women and families.

In the spirit of tax season, the National Women’s Law Center created an interactive tax calculator that provides examples of how much revenue could be raised by taxing the patriarchy through different tax policies — and how that money could be used to fund public investments in paid leave, child care, and aging and disability care, which all of us need and deserve.

“People sometimes are put off by tax policy,” said Amy Matsui, Director of Income Security and Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center. “We created the tool to show the connection between tax policy and our ability as a nation to invest in people in a concrete, simple, and hopefully fun way.”

“We hope people can use it to start conversations about why taxes matter, and engage their communities in advocacy for a fairer and more progressive tax system,” Matsui added.

According to the calculator, a tax on billionaire wealth could raise a staggering $3 trillion dollars over a ten year period. By contrast, creating a universal child care program where children between ages of 0 and 13 can access high-quality care, child care providers are paid a living wage, and no family pays more than 7 percent of their income for child care is estimated to cost $700 billion over the same ten year period.

Investments in the care economy are long overdue. With a rapidly aging population and fewer care workers due to low wages with few benefits, many economists are sounding the alarm of a care crisis.

Increasing wages for care workers would have a positive impact on racial and gender wealth inequality, as over 90 percent of U.S. home care workers are women, more than half are women of color, and 31 percent are immigrants. Putting more money in these workers’ pockets would bear substantial benefits for the entire economy.

Individuals and families can’t solve the care crisis on their own. The economy cannot thrive if mothers, women, and caretakers continue to be crushed by the lack of investments in the care economy.

President Biden’s budget contains a number of common sense ways to reverse course from the failed strategy of tax cuts for the wealthiest. Chief among them: raising the top income tax rate, raising the corporate tax rate, taxing stock buybacks, and closing some long standing loopholes. These provisions would go far to make the tax code more progressive — and raise revenues to support investments that benefit everyone.

“Our economy is less strong when workers who need care — that is, all of us — have to cobble it together and figure it out on their own,” said Matsui. “Women and families need and deserve robust public investment in the care infrastructure, and we can’t wait any longer.”

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


REBEKAH ENTRALGO  is the Managing Editor of Inequality.org.

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Women's Solidarity Through Witchcraft

The concept of the ‘witch’ draws from the European Wicca traditions. Wicca is a Neo-pagan religion that was introduced to the world in a codified form in 1945 by former British civil servant Gerald Gardner.

Witches through the ages Shutterstock


Outlook Web Desk
UPDATED: 13 APR 2022 

We have all grown up with images of the scraggly witch on a broomstick in a pointy witch’s hat. Or the Indian witch or ‘dayan’ with bulging eyes, reversed foot and knotted unruly hair. The myth of witches has existed in India ever since time immemorial. Be it the ‘chudail’ or ‘Pichal Pairi’ of North India, Pishachini or Petni of West Bengal, or simply ‘Dayan’, the idea of the witch in either a demonic form or in the form of an evil priestess has been popularised in countless folk tales, films and pulp fiction horror stories. But much of the representation of witches in Indian films and literature is largely inaccurate. This is due to reasons — one is the misunderstanding of witches and witchcraft, and the second is patriarchy. Nevertheless, witches have usually been the demon of choice when it came to feminists representing themselves through the horror metaphor.

The concept of the ‘witch’ draws from the European Wicca traditions. Wicca is a Neo-pagan religion that was introduced to the world in a codified form in 1945 by former British civil servant Gerald Gardner. However, its origins can be traced to pre-Christian times. It encompasses various denominations and sects that are based on witchcraft and the duo theistic worship of the Supreme Gods and God. The religion is characterised by various rituals and was the first to formally acknowledge the pagan community of witches (men and women) that existed and practised for ‘Witchcraft’. While the community represented more than just witches, later representation in pop culture associating Wicca with cauldron swilling pagan witches further solidified the idea of Wiccan witches. Many followers of Wicca claim to believe in “magic” as a science. As performative magician and occultist Alistair Crowley had put it, magic is “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will”.

The Witch’s Tale: Women In Indian Horror Films


In 1968, a manifesto by a women's group called WITCH read, "Witches have always been women who dared to be: groovy, courageous, aggressive, intelligent, nonconformist, explorative, curious, independent, sexually liberated, revolutionary...You are a witch by being female, untamed, angry, joyous and immortal". Thus witches have been a socio-political statement for women as much as a horror staple.

There is a thriving Wiccan witch community in India. The country’s first noted openly Wiccan witch was Ipsita Ray Chakravarty, daughter of a diplomat who grew up in Canada. According to interviews, she felt her first supernatural experience at the age of 10. In the late 80s, Chakravarty started speaking about the ancient tradition of witchcraft in India and has often spoken sternly against the representation of witches in Indian films as monstrous ‘dayans’.

The Wiccan tradition is what gives us the witch on a broomstick with a pointy hat trope. Today, many women in India claim Ito follow witchcraft. A thriving community of Wiccan witches on social media exists in which women not only talk about their experiences with witchcraft but also sell ‘magical’ items like totems, spells, incantations, even wands. The Harry Potter series of books also brought a new perspective on witches for urban Indian audiences who came face to face with anthropomorphised teen witches and wizards.

Nevertheless, the myth of the ‘Daayan’, the desi and monstrous version of the witch has remained popular in Indian horror films. Recent retellings o the witch’s tale have seen writers and directors experiment with themes of sexual violence and patriarchy to subvert the horror plots creating ‘daayans’ out of victims of patriarchy.

But the witch’s influence in Indian films and literature goes further back than just fiction or folk tales. In India, witchcraft is deeply rooted in Vedic Hindu religion. Witchcraft - or tantra Sadhna, is a pre-Vedic tradition part of the Tantra sect of Hinduism. Its followers, called Tantriks and Tantrikas, as often associated with witchcraft. While the men have been termed ‘sadhu’ or ascetic, however, women have often been dubbed as ‘witches’.

In fact, Daakinis and tantrikas were among the original healers before organised religion. According to Anubhuti Dalal, a practising Tantrik, daakinis have the ability to use magic, concoct potions and use their knowledge of herbs and poisons to heal people of both physical, and mental and metaphysical afflictions. They could make women stay young forever and make men fall in love. They could fix a broken heart or heal an infected body. This kind of manifestation of women’s power to manipulate energy has been recorded across the world including in Europe where a community of pagan witches have long existed under the Wiccan tradition. Witch societies are today studied through a feminist lens in that they have historically provided a safe space for women that organised religion could not provide.

In that way, the Indian Tantrik tradition has been similar to Wicca in providing a safe space and sisterhood to women within the community. Witches or practitioners of witchcraft often have their own language and ways of communication.

“A village daakini, before anything, is a friend of the persecuted women. She was supposed to be the custodian of women’s rights at a time when women had no representation. She could punish men for their wrong-doings, set things right for the woman at her household and empower them with justice,” adds Dalal. Dakinis, like Wiccan witches, are also known to be great doctors. Researchers of Wiccan witch rituals found that the ‘spells’ and recipes used by witches often use scary code names for herbs and plants. Newt’s eyes and dogs’ tongue - the famous ingredients used by Macbeth’s witches, for instance, actually refer to mustard seeds and the highly toxic plant houdstounge.

The Modern Witch Trials era in the West during which scores of women were burnt at the stake across England and other Anglo-Saxon countries vilified witches as sorceresses worshipping the Horned God. Later, Gardern's reiteration of Wicca brought forth evidence of the worship of the Mother Goddess - representing life and fertility - thus helping pagan witches destigmatise their image and move away from the Shakespearean representation of evil witches to a more free-spirited, pagan witch who used magic for good rather than evil.

Both Dalal and Wiccan witches like Ipsita have objected to the representation of witches in India. The skewed narratives of women in Indian (as well as Western) horror films and literature is an expression of the internalised cultural beliefs, mythology and pop culture. But today, women writers and filmmakers have tried to take over the genre and write stories that depict the witch not as a monster but as an avenger and vigilante. The change in tonality can be seen as a reflection of the growing empowerment of women and acknowledgement of culture and mythology as important building blocks of gender roles.

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Fear Of The Known: Socio-political Themes In Marathi Horror Cinema

HIJABS AND HABITS

Expressing our oppression as women in solidarity with our sisters. And since this call for solidarity comes from a Catholic there is no difference between the hajib and the habit. Both are symbols not of liberation but of patriarchy.

I am calling out to every woman in this world who, regardless of her ethnic origin, religious background or even sexual orientation, will recognize my voice as female, feminine, and therefore will feel and acknowledge the resemblance, the sorority. I am calling on to you my sisters because some of us are suffering today and I believe that we, as loving sisters, must show them we will not turn our backs on them. Muslim women are indeed women like us, mothers, daughters, and sisters. The most common thought when a Muslim woman is seen wearing a Hijab (headscarf) is to assume that it is a sign of oppression and that this woman is not free of her own choices. Yet in the “Western” world (of what I know myself from France and Canada) wearing a Hijab is certainly a very difficult and courageous act because it is the visible and unmistakable sign of a religion that has become synonymous with terrorism since the 9/11 attacks. But “terrorism” has no race or religion. The Muslim community, Islam, have nothing to be forgiven for. The actions of some people cannot justify the generalization of a whole group. I think History has proven this point many, many times. People from my father’s family have perished in concentration camps during World War II along with Jewish people, communists, homosexuals, and many other oppressed groups rejected solely because of their existence. This situation is not different. As human beings we cannot accept this injustice: we cannot condemn and reject Muslims on account of their nature. I was raised a Christian and as such I will address the Christian community, in particular the Catholics. Oh my sisters and brothers I am asking you, for the love of Jesus (peace be upon his head) himself: who is the good Christian? who is the good Catholic? I will tell you. The good Catholic is the one who hid his Protestant neighbours on the night of August 24, 1572 at Saint Barthélémy, France. An estimated 70,000 Protestants were killed in France, 3,000 in Paris. Yet a lot survived because good Catholics extended their hands to their Protestant brothers and sisters. The same good Catholics, good Christians, saved their Jewish neighbours from deportation during World War II. The good Christians today, I have no doubts, will reach out their hands onto their Muslim brothers and sisters.
All I am asking of you is to follow my lead in a peaceful and symbolical gesture: let us wear a Hijab for a day. Let us show our solidarity and love for our Muslim sisters who choose to wear it every day, not as a sign of oppression, but as a sign of courage and honesty.

Nuns should wear the habit

After reviewing A Nuns Habit, which lists poorly devised reasons for not wearing the habit, I feel encouraged to write on the subject. In short, my opinion remains that all religious sisters and nuns should wear the habit of their respective orders. No longer should these women, who have given their lives to the service of God and the Church, be dressing like laypeople. It is time to return to the ancient practice of wearing a distinct habit - this is not fulfilled by wearing laypeople's clothing!

The habit inspires women to leave their lives and gives themselves to God. The same is true for men who are inspired by the garments worn by priests and monks. To enter a religious order, one does not just experience a change of heart and soul, rather, there is also a change in the physical realm. For example, many religious orders require the women to adopt a new name when they become a nun in addition to wearing the habit.

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Pakistani women protest 'patriarchy pandemic'

Women joyfully rallied in Pakistan's major cities as they marked the International Women's day, defying religious hard-liners.


WHO MADE ADAM SMITH'S DINNER?

Women demanded equal rights, an end to forced marriages in the name of culture and religion, and an end to sexual harassment

Mask-wearing protesters marched in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi on the International Women's Day

to demand equal rights for women, Pakistani media reported on Monday. The organizers made it mandatory for protesters to maintain social distance during the coronavirus pandemic. They also encouraged protesters to take their demands to social media, according to the Pakistani newspaper DAWN.

The rallies come after a 2020 march was attacked.

'A feminist celebration'

Some women marched wearing the traditional Pakistani outfit Salwar Kameez, and others hung dresses on clothing lines across the street to symbolize domestic abuse.

A Twitter user posted a video of the clothing.

The women marching also held colorful banners to demonstrate their demands. The organizers of the rally in Islamabad shared images of the banners, with the post reading: "We are reclaiming our city." 

The Women Democratic Front, a coalition of women's rights groups, shared a video showing women dancing during the rallies, describing the event as "a feminist celebration that no one will ever forget." 

Battling the 'patriarchy pandemic' 

Women in Pakistan report sexual harassment and injustice. The Aurat March (Women's March) in Lahore has described the 2021 rallies' as a protest against the "patriarchy pandemic."

Protesters are demanding an increase in the health care allocation in next year's fiscal budget and transparency on how this increase will reach women and transgender communities.

They also call for access to vaccination regardless of gender or ethnic background and putting an end to privatizing the health care system.

Other demands include recognizing denial of contraception by family members as domestic violence and subsidizing menstrual products.

Protesters accused of being 'un-Islamic'

(UN-CATHOLIC, UN-CHRISTIAN, ETC )

Conservative and right-wing groups have spoke out against the rallies.

A few days before the march, the hashtag #ForeignFundedAuratMarch was trending on Twitter as thousands of users took to the social networking platform to bash the protests. 

Some users claimed that the activists organizing the protests were receiving funding from foreign nations to "corrupt Pakistani women." Others said Islam already respected women and rallies would "spread immortality."

Pakistan is one of the world's most dangerous countries for women. Women experience various types of violence including sexual assault, murder and abduction. The first Aurat March was held in Karachi in 2018, but the rallies have since spread to all major cities, according to the DPA news agency.

Islamists oppose feminist slogans, including "my body, my choice," as such attitudes contradict a fundamentalist belief that humans do not have autonomy over their bodies.

Despite online insults, the situation did not escalate the way it did last year when Islamists launched counter protests and stoned the women's march, injuring three.

Why Women's Day march irks conservative Pakistanis

Pakistan's "Aurat Azadi March" (Women's Freedom March), with its slogan "my body, my choice," has become an extremely polarizing annual event. Its organizers are now facing increasing threats from right-wing groups.



Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women

Prior to the inception of the "Aurat Azadi March," or the women's freedom march, International Women's Day on March 8 used to be a low-key event in Pakistan, mostly celebrated by different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the country. But it has now become a public event, in which thousands of women, rights activists and common people participate, thanks to the Aurat Azadi March organizers.

As the event grew bigger and gained strength, it also received more condemnation from conservative sections and groups. On mainstream and social media, people debate about the women's march, with many people – mostly men – calling it a "vulgar" event, funded by the West to spread secular values in the Islamic country.

The march organizers have drawn ire from religious groups for their slogan "my body, my choice," and have received open threats from conservative groups. Although this year's International Women's Day is not being commemorated on a large scale due to COVID-19 restrictions, the feminist movement in Pakistan faces enormous challenges in its fight for more freedom for the country's women.

One of the biggest challenges comes from Prime Minister Imran Khan's populist government, which has unleashed a crackdown on NGOs. Authorities accuse women's rights groups of receiving foreign funds and promoting Western values in the country. In 2018, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government forcibly shut down 18 international NGOs.

"The Aurat Azadi March does not receive funding from any institution or company. We raise our own funds for the sake of our independence. The government wants to discredit the movement," Ismat Shahjahan, president of the Women Democratic Front, a coalition of women's rights groups, told DW.

Watch video 02:09 Women's march in Pakistan faces extremist violence

A 'Western concept'

"Feminism is a foreign concept and these women (women's rights activists) get funding from Europe and the US," Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, a writer and director who is known for his opposition to the women's march and the "my body, my choice" slogan, told DW.

The 2019 women's march particularly angered the conservative people in Pakistan because of the placards that the event's participants used in their rallies. "Warm your own food," "My body is not your battleground," and "Oh, I am sorry. Does this hurt your male ego?" were some of the slogans that really irked them.

"If these women stop using these shameless and dirty slogans, I would be their biggest supporter. They should know that they can't get their rights by snatching them from men and disrespecting their fathers and husbands," Qamar said, adding that the feminists are "destroying this country."

Rights activists believe it is important to raise these slogans to challenge the status-quo in Pakistan, which remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women. According to the Journal Of Pakistan Medical Association, "approximately 70 to 90% of Pakistani women are subjected to various forms of domestic violence, including physical, mental and emotional abuse."

"When women talk about themselves, or their body, it offends everyone because a woman's body is considered a man's property," Tooba Syed, one of the organizers of the Aurat Azadi March, told DW.

Activist Shahjahan says that there have been "coordinated efforts" by the state, media and right-wing groups to "twist" the feminist narrative and discredit the movement.

Religious groups celebrate 'Haya Day' (the day of piety) on March 8
Feminists face increasing threats

For some years, religious groups in Pakistan have held their own events on International Women's Day to counter feminists.

Last year, the right-wing Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (JUI-F) party held a counter march and pelted stones at the women's march participants in the capital Islamabad.

Women wings of religious parties also organize the "Haya Day" (the day of piety) on March 8 to promote Islamic values about women.

Samia Raheel Qazi of the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party says that men and women have their separate places and roles in Islam. She told DW that her party has been holding International Women's Day rallies since 1995, and that this year's theme will be "strong families build strong societies."

Shaheer Sialvi, a right-wing youth activist, told DW that religious groups will also hold a rally to honor Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who was found guilty in 2010 by a New York court of trying to kill US servicemen in Afghanistan.

Rights activist Syed believes counterrallies pose a security threat to their march. After last year's attack on the Aurat Azadi March participants, the organizers have taken measures to defend themselves, she said.

"As the government doesn't care about our safety and dignity, we have to protect ourselves," she said.

Watch video 02:32 Sexual harassment forces Pakistani entertainers to create own #MeToo movement

She swung from purity culture to hookup culture. Now she’s written a memoir on it.

Brenda Marie Davies has written a memoir she calls a cautionary tale about the damaging message of purity culture in which she takes an unflinchingly honest look at female sexuality.

March 31, 2021

By 

Yonat Shimron

“On Her Knees: Memoir of a Prayerful Jezebel” by Brenda Marie Davies. Courtesy image

(RNS) — There’s now a growing genre of books on Christian purity culture and the damage it can inflict. But probably none is as unflinchingly honest about female sexuality as Brenda Marie Davies is in her new book, “On Her Knees: Memoir of a Prayerful Jezebel.”

Davies, whose YouTube channel and “God Is Grey” podcast draw a large audience of teenage and young adult Christians and LGBTQ youth, tells a familiar story in her memoir, in three acts.

Like many young Christian women of her era, Davies, who began attending evangelical churches at age 12, took a pledge in front of her parents to remain a virgin until her wedding day. At 19, she moved to Los Angeles to become an actress. There, she became increasingly anxious to meet “The One” so she could have sex, but settled, she writes, for something less.

After her marriage fell apart, she swung in the opposite direction — a part of her life she calls her “trampage,” a portmanteau of “tramp” and “rampage.” That season of hooking up and sexual exploration included good but also a bad experiences. She emerged from it a progressive Christian who loves Jesus and advocates for consent, self-integration, healing and redemption.

Davies’ no-holds-barred descriptions of sexual yearning along with her heartfelt desire for God make for a compelling read. It’s also timely. Purity culture has come in for criticism since it’s come to light that the 21-year-old suspect in the March 16 Atlanta-area shootings had been treated in Christian sex addiction programs. According to police, his motivation for killing eight people, including six women who worked in area massage parlors, was to rid himself of temptation.

Religion News Service spoke with Davies, now 37 and the mother of a 1-year-old son, Valentine. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Who did you imagine your audience would be?

Initially I had this visual of people hiding the book under their bed, whether it be a teenager or a young adult or an LGBTQ person who is in the closet. (But) my intention was to be exposed and vulnerable about what I believe to be the toxic theology of purity culture as a guide. I wanted people to know there’s hope and I wanted people to learn how to align themselves, mind, body and soul, as a fully integrated spiritual and sexual human being.

Have you reached out to anyone from youth who taught, for instance, that having sex before marriage was like asking your intended spouse to chew used bubble gum?

I do plan to send it to one of my old youth pastors who actually apologized and acknowledged the way she treated us women and made us feel our bodies were weapons against men’s spiritual purity. I believe you can hold love and forgiveness for people but still hold them accountable for their problematic behavior, theology and actions.

You point out that purity culture arises from patriarchal culture.

Brenda Marie Davies. Photo by Tegan and Andy Noel

There’s this notion that liberal hippie feminists out to destroy Christianity are using this term “patriarchy” to make people afraid of masculinity or break down the traditional family unit. But to be clear, patriarchy is a traceable, historically accurate and provable fact. It manifests in all kinds of ways today. The Baptist church demeaning Beth Moore and saying they shouldn’t listen to her because she’s a female. That is patriarchy. Silencing the voices of women or saying we have less to offer than men or we’re less spiritually gifted to be leaders or speak out. All evidence shows gender does not determine if we have leadership qualities or whether someone is equipped to lead people spiritually.

How does the Atlanta shooting flow out of purity culture?

Women have been told our bodies can cause men to stumble. They’ve been told, (in the letter to the Romans), “Do not be a stumbling block.” That has been twisted to say, “Oh, don’t wear spaghetti straps; otherwise, you never know what men will do.” We’ve been told to restrain ourselves, present ourselves in specific ways in order to not allow sin in men’s life. We’ve been taught that men are in control of everything — the church service, the decision-making, the money — but the one thing they cannot control is their sexuality.

The Altanta suspect put the blame of his sin on these sex workers. This is what we are indoctrinated to believe. Women cause their brothers to stumble. Sexually available women are diminished. (The alleged shooter) believed taking the lives of innocent people was less an affront to his God than committing the sin of sexuality.

You describe a period in your life as a “trampage.” Is it typical for people to rebel against purity culture this way?

I leaned really hard into purity culture and then into hookup culture. I see them as two polar extremes. Both lead to feeling disconnected and disembodied from yourself. In purity culture, virginity was the utmost quality I could possess as a woman. In hookup culture, the most valuable thing you can possess is your body and your willingness to have sex.

I’m not against people having consensual sexual experiences. It’s not about how many people you’re sleeping with. It’s about, are you experiencing embodiment in these situations? Are you thriving in the fullness of your sexuality? Even if I were to have consensual sexual experiences with a couple of guys over the next year, I wouldn’t consider it a “trampage” so long as I was making autonomous choices that I knew were honoring myself, my spirit, the other person.

So when you began to honor your feelings it ended?

I’m careful with the terminology of feeling. A lot of evangelicals will demonize myself and others who say we’re led by our feelings, “It feels good, do it.” That’s not what sex positivity is about. It’s not about the feelings. It’s about being honest about yourself, acknowledging what is genuinely true to who you are, what is your sexuality meant to be in your life.

This militant repression was imposed on me and it made my sexuality an obsession. When I opened myself up to what I consider the Holy Spirit and said, “God, what do you think about my sexuality?,” I realized I had not invited God into that area of my life because I was told God thinks black and white ideas about my sexuality and if any shades of gray come in I’m doing the wrong thing. When you have those blinders on, it can lead to true sexual sin, where you’re not searching for enthusiastic consent in your partner, where you’re not making choices out of your own desire, you’re just following the script.

Is that what you’re going to teach your son?

I’m a gigantic believer in comprehensive sex education, which ideally should begin at 5 years old. Over 90 times the Bible says not to fear, or some variation of that. So why on earth have we built our religion on a foundation of fear and hell? And why are we building our children’s sexuality on a foundation of fear?

Children taught abstinence-only sexual education show no delay in sexual activity and only show spikes in sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy and abortions. We need to teach our kids that  pleasure is not a sin. The desire to have pleasure is not our original sin. 

When we do that and teach them that God loves our pleasure, then your child or teenager will be better able to tell you, somebody touched me in a way that wasn’t pleasure. That’s empowerment about their sexuality.

Do you go to church?

I’m not plugged into a church. I’ve been doing small groups with friends for a really long time.

PATRIARCHY IS FEMICIDE
Male violence against women is about so much more than toxic masculinity

Sonia Sodha
Sun, 6 March 2022

Photograph: Ian West/PA

The murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer a year ago prompted a wave of national shock. Her brutal abduction, rape and killing pierced the public consciousness to such a degree that feminist campaigners wondered if this tragedy might move us from seeing violence as something society has to live with to something that can be significantly reduced.

Today, those hopes look misplaced. A single statistic shows how little has changed: since Sarah’s murder, at least 125 women have been killed by men. Some, like Sabina Nessa, were murdered in a public place by a man they didn’t know; many more behind closed doors, often by their partners. The question, after having read report after report, is why, for all the never agains and pledges to do more, have we failed so badly to reduce violence?

Any analysis of violence has to begin with the stark difference between the sexes. The vast majority of violence is committed by men – more than four-fifths of violent crime and an even greater proportion of sex offences. While men are also more likely to be victims of violent crime, women are overwhelmingly more likely to be victims of severe domestic abuse. (One of the reasons single-sex spaces have become the norm in prisons, hospital wards and refuges: it is a simple rule of thumb to safeguard against male violence.)

Interestingly, the difference in physical aggression between the average man and the average women is moderate – to put it in context, about a quarter as significant as average sex differences in height. The big difference comes at the extremes of the distribution: there are many more very violent men than women.

What underpins this difference? In animals, scientists have found a clear link between testosterone levels and male aggression. But this is not replicated in humans, leading experts to believe that the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors – the way children are socialised – plays a much greater role


A UK project has shed the feminist attachment to the idea that the key to reducing violence is teaching men to be better

And there are noticeable differences in the way boys and girls are socialised. Children’s worlds are infused with harmful gender stereotypes – the idea that girls are sweet and boys are tough – in everything from behaviour expectations to their toys and clothes. There are some school-based programmes that try to tackle damaging masculine stereotypes, which draw on evidence of the effectiveness of peer-based programmes to tackle bullying in encouraging friends to call each other out on unhealthy behaviour towards girls. It can only be a good thing to challenge the stereotypes that are corrosive to boys and girls.

Perpetrator programmes for violent men have also run with this idea of reprogramming masculinity. That makes sense when you consider that, a few decades ago, the only people interested in reducing domestic violence were grassroots feminists who understood male violence primarily as a symptom of patriarchy: the age-old structural power imbalance between men and women that socially constructed itself out of differences between the sexes. They developed the Duluth model, named after the Minnesota city where it was conceived in the 1980s, which included a curriculum that aimed to educate the patriarchy out of perpetrators.

It is used widely today in the US, the UK and Australia, but evidence of its effectiveness is equivocal at best. That is not altogether surprising: the idea that attending a weekly support group will transform lifelong patterns of violent behaviour for most men seems far-fetched.

The difference between the sexes is a vital starting point for understanding violence, but cannot be the endpoint. Just as important are differences between men: why are some more violent than others? Some will have the kinds of personality disorders that mean they are incapable of feeling empathy. But longitudinal research finds that adverse childhood experiences – such as parental or domestic abuse, having a father in prison or growing up around alcohol or substance abuse – are associated with poorer outcomes in adulthood for boys and girls and one of those outcomes for some boys is a greater propensity to violence.

Yet the services that exist to support children with trauma have been cut to the bone over the past decade. It is not to excuse adult violence to say that some perpetrators have been resoundingly failed as children.

This difference between men has also been elided when it comes to perpetrator programmes. One of the most effective is a UK project called Drive, developed by two domestic abuse charities. It has shed once and for all the feminist attachment to the idea that the key to reducing serious violence is teaching men to be better. It works with the highest-risk domestic abusers. They are all assigned a case manager, who can help them access the support they need, such as housing or mental health services.

But it also functions as a surveillance system for dangerous men: they are monitored on an ongoing basis and case managers bring in other agencies such as the police and social services to disrupt their violent behaviour. The results are stunning: an 82% and 88% sustained drop in physical and sexual abuse respectively. But just 1% of serious domestic abuse perpetrators get funnelled into targeted interventions. If we were serious about reducing violence, we would be channelling money into a national rollout of this programme in the same way we spend vast sums on counter-terrorism.


Long-standing research shows that alcohol restrictions produce beneficial health outcomes and reduce violence

This idea that we need to disrupt rather than try to fix dangerous men has other implications. There is longstanding research that shows that alcohol restrictions – policies such as minimum pricing, limits on sales of strong alcohol in violence hotspots and timing restrictions – produce not only a range of beneficial health outcomes, but reduce violence. Of course they are a superficial lever and there is much they don’t address, but they reduce harm. Which raises the question: why don’t we use them more?

I ended up in a different place than I imagined I would when I embarked on a new documentary for Radio 4. Of course, you cannot understand violence without understanding differences between the sexes, but male violence is about much more than toxic masculinity. And we need to put the same effort into disrupting violent men from killing their partners as we do in stopping them from committing dreadful acts of terrorism.

• Sonia Sodha is an Observer columnist

Violence Against Women A Moral Outrage

Women do not speak of domestic violence - WHO
One in six women worldwide suffers domestic violence - some battered during pregnancy - yet many remain silent about the assaults, according to the World Health Organisation.
"Women are more at risk from violence involving people they know at home than from strangers in the street. There is a feeling that the home is a safe haven and that pregnancy is a very protected period, but that is not the case," WHO director-general Lee Jong-Wook said.

Slain woman 'brought smiles to everyone' family remembers
CBC News
A pregnant teenager found in a Mill Woods townhouse Wednesday night died from multiple gunshot wounds, the medical examiner's office said Friday. A 19-year-old man, who police say had known Olivia Talbot since childhood, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death.

The right wing will now decry this and call for more law and order, but it is their religious morality that is the cause of this violence against women.

Violence against women is the result of patriarchy, of the religious ideology that says women are the chattel property of their husbands, fathers, brothers.

It matters not which religious sect of monothiesm espouses the belief in the Sacredness of Marriage, those that speak of such sacredness are merely excusing their right to 'own' their wives. To do with them as they will, which includes beating and even killing them.

Recently, Mr. Oppal characterized the gang violence afflicting his community in Greater Vancouver as a "cancer." More provocatively, he said the difference in the way many Indo-Canadian families raise sons and daughters is a contributing factor. "There are still a lot of families who celebrate the birth of a boy but don't celebrate the birth of a girl," Mr. Oppal said in an interview. "And you see this reflected in the way they bring up their children. The boys get carte blanche treatment and the result is they grow up to be gangsters in many cases."

It is a moral depravity of these religions of patriarchy, and should be seen as such. While the religionists around the world are quick to denounce the moral turpitude of secular society, we must remember that this so called secular society is the result of humanities revlusion to the moral decadence, political power and its abuse by the theocracies that have ruled our lives.

Every time the religious establishment denounces sex education, womens rights, and humanism in general they are creating the continued conditions of oppression of women.

To say the unborn child takes precedence over the mother and her rights as a woman to choose, is to say she is chattel property.

To fail to have a comprehensive human relations education, sex ed if you like, in our public schools will continue to haunt us with examples like that above.

While denouncing sex education, what the religionist does is throw the baby out with the bathwater. For in having human sexuality education one learns tolerance, one learns about the problems of relationships including jealousy.

We cannot pray away these very real human emotions, nor can one hope they will not occur, they do in all relationships, and in order to mature into a relationship one needs education, including moral education. But that moral education needs to be humanist, to recognize the problems that exist in our relationships with each other and to also honour each other as inviduals not for our social roles.

The moral bankruptcy of leaving sex ed/human relations education to the Church/Temple/Synagouge etc. and to the parents continues to result in the abuse and death of women and children.

Until we recognize womens individuality, to their right to ownership especially over their own persons, and to own property, then violence against women will continue, it is the disease of patriarchy.

The Failure of Christianity

by Emma Goldman

Everywhere and always, since its very inception, Christianity has turned the earth into a vale of tears; always it has made of life a weak, diseased thing, always it has instilled fear in man, turning him into a dual being, whose life energies are spent in the struggle between body and soul. In decrying the body as something evil, the flesh as the tempter to everything that is sinful, man has mutilated his being in the vain attempt to keep his soul pure, while his body rotted away from the injuries and tortures inflicted upon it.

#IWD

Women march in major cities across Pakistan against 'pandemic of patriarchy'

Dawn.com | Imtiaz Ali | Imran Gabol

Published March 8, 2021 - 

Activists of the Aurat March hold placards during a rally to mark International Women's Day in Islamabad on March 8, 2020. — AFP/File

A banner shows messages from participants at the Aurat March, Lahore. — Photo by Imran Gabol


Women, men and allies participated in Aurat Marches in all major Pakistani cities on Monday to mark International Women's Day and call for the protection of women's rights.

The first Aurat March was held in 2018 in Karachi. The next year, it was extended to more cities, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Larkana, and Hyderabad. This year too, the marches were held in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and other cities.

Karachi

In Karachi, the march took place at Frere Hall. In view of the prevailing coronavirus situation, organisers had emphasised standard operating procedures (SOPs), including wearing masks and maintaining a distance of six feet.

Strict security arrangements were put in place at the venue, with walkthrough gates installed at the entrance, where attendants were checked before being allowed to enter. The march itself attracted a sizeable crowd, comprising people of all ages and from all walks of life.


Read | Why do women march? A look at the Aurat March 2021 manifestos

The Karachi march was also broadcast live.



Qurrat Mirza, one of the organisers of the march, took the stage and reminded the crowd why they were here.

“In 2018, we held the first march,” she said. “Four years later, we have the same demands, which is why we are going to do a symbolic sit-in.”

She added that the organisers had a 15-point manifesto for the government, which it must implement.

“If we don’t see action on our demands in the next one month, we will devise a course of action in the next three months,” she said, adding that they would do a sit-in every day if they had to.

“Because it is not acceptable to me that someone rapes my daughter and her body is found in a garbage dump.”

Lahore

In Lahore, the Aurat March started from the Lahore Press Club and reached its destination outside the Punjab Assembly building.

The Aurat March Lahore organisers also laid out a "#MeToo blanket" on which women shared their experiences of sexual violence and abuse.

Participants of the march also displayed women's clothes with words written on them — termed "stains of patriarchy" — that reflected their experiences with patriarchy and the abuse suffered by them. The clothes were hung on wires across streets and walls.

"These are real stories of violence, but also an act of resistance because we no longer carry the shame associated with these acts. The same is now society's," a tweet by Aurat March Lahore said.

Clothes are hung as part of an art display in Lahore. — Photo: Imran Gabol



Islamabad

The march in Islamabad started from the National Press Club and ended at D-Chowk around 5pm. The participants of the event raised slogans about reclaiming public spaces for women.

Manifestos

Each chapter of the Aurat March has its own manifesto with the Karachi chapter focusing on patriarchal violence; Lahore on addressing healthcare workers and women’s health; and the Islamabad march is dedicated to the crisis of care.

The Karachi chapter's demands include an "end to gender-based violence by patriarchal forces as well as state-backed violence targeting activists, religious groups and communities and effective and transparent investigation of gender-based crimes and fair and expeditious trials".

Residents participate in the Aurat March in Lahore. — Photo: Imran Gabol

Other demands include criminalisation of virginity tests for rape victims, establishment of gender-based violence reporting cells in police stations across Sindh and Pakistan, and an end to sexual harassment.



In line with its focus on healthcare workers and women's health, the Lahore chapter's demands include fulfillment of basic necessities by the state and a better infrastructure given to survivors of abuse who need access to mental as well as physical care within a rehabilitative framework in order to adequately manage the long-term effects of the violence visited upon them.

Concerns about other health issues are also raised in the document, including, educational programs and training aiming to stop stigmatization and shame associated with gendered bodies, breast cancer, reproductive health, the gender pain gap, more gender sensitized medico-legal practitioners, charging for forensic services (including from rape victims), HIV, access to free medicines, rights of PWDs, implementation of the Transgender Act 2018, access to clean water and toilets, especially to avoid contraction of Covid-19, healthcare for female prisoners, and drug addicts and users, an end to underage marriage, and several other issues associated with the health sector.

Last year, the situation at the Islamabad Aurat March turned precarious after male participants of a rival 'Haya March' by religious parties threw stones at participants of the Aurat March, injuring at least one person. The situation was brought under control by police.
Tributes

Meanwhile, tributes poured in with ministers and politicians recalling the role of women in their lives while simultaneously calling for them to be given equal rights.

Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa in his message said Pakistani women had "contributed immensely for the glory and honour of our nation". Women were also at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, he noted.

Talking about women in uniform, Gen Bajwa said they have "proved their mettle by contributing copiously in diverse fields serving the nation & humanity".

"They deserve our immense respect & gratitude," he added.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said that the protection of women's rights was the "top priority" of the government because it was "imperative for the formation of a progressive society", according to a report by Radio Pakistan.

Minister for Information Shibli Faraz said March 8 "highlighted women's high status in society and their commendable services in different sectors".

He said that the Constitution was a guarantor of women's rights and they had played an important role in the building and progress of the country.

"Making women powerful and protected in society by ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities for progress for them is our determination," he stressed.




PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also talked about women empowerment, saying she "dream[s] of a Pakistan where women excel in every field and play leading roles".




Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan paid tribute to the female health workers "who put themselves in harm's way to deliver care, on top of fulfilling their personal responsibilities and braving societal barriers that often inhibit their careers".




Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood paid tribute to all the women in his life, including his mother, wife, daughters, sisters and his colleagues at work and in politics.

"Thank you for making the world a better place," he wrote.




Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry used the occasion to encourage girls to opt for science subjects to change their and the country's destiny.




Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and newly-elected senator Faisal Subzwari reminded people that respecting women also meant "respecting their liberty of making choices".

He called on people to encourage the women in their families, adding "we as a society badly need educated, confident & courageous women".

In pictures: Women across the world make their voices heard on Int'l Women's Day - World - DAWN.COM

SEE

A patriarchy pandemic: The best of the Aurat March - Comment - Images (dawn.com)