Pakistan’s annual women’s rights protest, Aurat March will not be confined to March 8 this year. Instead, the movement will span multiple dates across different cities, with each march tailored to the unique realities of its location.
This year also marks a historic milestone as Mirpurkhas joins the Aurat March caravan for the first time.
The 2025 Aurat March Schedule
Here’s the full schedule for this year’s Aurat March:
- February 12: Lahore (National Women’s Day)
- February 23: Multan
- March 8: Islamabad (International Women’s Day)
- May 11: Karachi and Mirpurkhas (Mother’s Day)
Since its inception in 2018, the annual women’s rights protest has been synonymous with International Women’s Day, symbolizing a collective feminist tradition of resistance and protest.
However, the organizers have announced that 2025 will be “The Year of the Aurat March Caravan,” with marches taking place on various dates to better accommodate local communities and amplify diverse feminist voices.
While Aurat March Islamabad will continue its tradition of protesting on March 8, other cities have opted for new dates. Karachi’s march, for instance, will take place on May 11, reclaiming Mother’s Day as a day of feminist resistance. Lahore’s march coincides with National Women’s Day today (February 12), while Multan will hold its protest on February 23.
For Karachi, reclaiming Mother’s Day on May 11 as a day of feminist resistance was a deliberate choice. Meanwhile, Lahore’s decision to march on February 12 aligns with National Women’s Day, commemorating the historic women’s rights protests of 1983.
However, the organizers also acknowledged the importance of March 8, particularly in Islamabad, where the event has faced repeated attempts at suppression by the state and religious right-wing groups.
“So while defying the tradition of marking 8 March in favor of newer dates is part of our feminist resistance, so is asserting our right to the day that we have fought so hard to carve out space on, ie 8 March,” the statement read.
