Today’s generation, mainly millennials, and Gen-Z-ers, want to see a world that puts an emphasis on live and let live, irrespective of what class, gender, and ethnicity you belong to. A world that is free of abuse, cruelty, and unfairness. As millennials, we regularly get to hear about why Aurat March is a:
- foreign concept
- a way to divide society
- Yahoodi saazish
- and so on.
Well, to be honest, we can’t blame our elders. After all, they are very much a product of their time; when information and education were considered luxuries rather than a necessity. Let’s refer to them as boomers.
It goes without saying that millennials find talking to their parents about some pressing social issues very hard. Not only do they not understand the motives and ideas of Women’s Day, but they also don’t believe there’s a need for change in society’s attitudes.
Now before we outrage against their outdated views, us youngsters have to realize something; People can’t leave 70 years of conditioning behind that easily. It is up to us to explain things to them, away from all the noise and chatter from the idiot box and the internet these days.
To bridge this cultural divide, we have a boomers’ guide to Aurat March, and also a millennial’s guide to understanding boomers.
Let us begin.
Understanding Boomers
Before we begin the boomers’ guide to Aurat march, let’s give our readers a refresher.
Folks who were born after World War 2 are classified as boomers. While men in Pakistan from this generation were expected to provide for their families at a very young age, women were made to believe they have to become a ‘perfect bride’ more than anything.
Boomers were expected to be everything – high achieving, financially well-off, obedient, and whatnot. Too much pressure right?
It's OK. You can call me Boomer. Born right after WW2, we grew up in a unique era, never equalled before or since. Wherever we grew up (I grew up middle-class Jewish in NY) our lives were colored by our parents' Depression upbringing & WW2 young adulthoods.
— Cheryl Lynn says VOTE BLUE (@Cheryllynn512) March 6, 2020
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When it comes to boomers in Pakistan, men were supposed to embrace the concept of a ‘macho-man.’ This usually meant not expressing your feelings and emotions that could be deemed ‘unmanly.’ His main goal was to earn enough money to support a whole family, without nary a peep or complaint.
Now for the opposite gender. Generally, families from the boomer generation could frown at news of a girl being born. It wasn’t unusual to see that women were taught that marriage was the be all and end all of their lives. They were supposed to be obedient to their future partners, and any deviation from that was unthinkable of.
So you see, a boomer was supposed to accept the roles that desi society had already laid out for them. That explains why boomers usually aren’t receptive to change. Its a result of their upbringing and experiences.
How does this affect their understanding of Aurat March?
In 2018, when the Aurat March began, the youngest boomer in Pakistan would have been 53 years old. That’s 53 years of conditioning. 53 years of seeing the world from one single lens. And 53 years of not realizing things need to change.
So, we understand why it must be hard for millennials to convey the right message of Aurat March to their parents, and why boomers might not see eye-to-eye.
But given both the sides’ life experiences, we need more movements like Aurat March to ensure that future generations don’t suffer.
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The Message of Equality
Aurat March’s core focus is on spreading the message of equality. That equality includes but is not limited to, equality among genders, races, religions, and creeds. It stands against generationalism; it stands against people stereotyping and creating a war against people born in different timelines.
Again, not all, and the same holds true of any age group.
I once dated a guy who was in his early 30s in the 2000s. Although, he was not a Boomer, he would have also put your daughter's future at risk. It had to do with his upbringing, not his age.— LmWolfSpirit (@LmWolfSpirit13) March 4, 2020
An Emphatic Side
Aurat March is not about discriminating against anyone’s experiences, even if we can’t relate to or understand the experiences that some boomers might have gone through.
As for boomers, it’s time they realize that even though they had a hard time trying to be what society expected time to be, those burdens should not be passed on to the youngsters. Today’s people are not being ungrateful by asking for their rights, they simply want things to be better for themselves and the coming generations.
The Communication Gap
Boomers got to the TV revolution too late. And you can imagine how jarring their transition to the smartphone and social media-fueled era could be.
While communication was definitely harder in their time, with nobody to compare your experiences with, today’s generation has it better. People are more connected with each other, and more willing to discuss issues that plague their lives. Thanks to advanced technology and instant messaging apps, sharing experiences is easier than ever.
As an intended effect, people are more in sync with what they want. And they want to empower others with the same. This is a mission that Aurat March also focuses on.
Men Not Allowed
Some of our elders think that given its name, the Aurat March is an all-girl movement, that’s actually not the case. It is for every disadvantaged community who wants a better world for themselves.
While unfortunately most men don’t get involved in these movements, the basis of Aurat March includes men as much as women. Social issues such as toxic masculinity, career pressure, beauty norms, stay-at-home parenting, financial pressures affect men as much as, if not more than, girls.
Even though social media has started a war among the two genders, Aurat march does not support such mentalities.
Is it a product of “Western Culture?”
In case boomers think that Aurat March is nothing but the limitation of western culture, we’re here to tell you its not.
Aurat March might have taken its roots from feminism, but it is focused on fixing the problematic norms that one sees in a desi society. Social issues like child marriages, biased pay structures, child abuse, rape are some of the burning issues that threaten the desi community’s well-being.
Aurat March was started with this aim in Pakistan.
The unspeakable violence inflicted upon human beings can be considered something to march against for any and all generations.
It is wise to consider the words of boomer Rebecca Solnit, a celebrated writer herself:
There is no 18-year-old me, but there are plenty of 18 year olds to show me how much has changed, and to promise through their beautiful insubordination and high expectations that more is going to change. Last year, when a young woman I know shared an essay she wrote about accompanying her friend through the all-night ordeal of getting a rape kit from a hospital, I was amazed to see how truths and stances that were so hard-won for many of us were built into her worldview.
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Different Experiences, Common Frustrations
While some of our experiences have been different, we all have the same frustrations That’s just human nature 101.
Everyone has a different coping mechanism. Of course, we can’t expect elders and senior citizens to go out there and shout slogans on the street if that’s not their thing. Its more than that. It could be as simple as letting girls work after marriage. It could be as simple as teaching boys to look after household chores. Every little bit helps!
What today’s generation can do is, to sit down with our elders, educate them that fighting for one’s rights is important. For better pay, education, working conditions, societal behaviors and so on.
Have anything to add? Let us know
this is so important! if they are not aware of the aims of Aurat March, there can be no expectation of cooperation. indeed, every little bit helps 🙂