In this episode of #FridayFocus, Gul Bukhari, Annie Zaman, and Gulalai Ismail discuss the importance of Aurat March in Pakistan, the change it is bringing, and the resistance and backlash it is facing from the conservative sections of the society. Every year on 8th March, women organise in different parts of Pakistan and march for their rights. This year's March was focused on women's right to health, the burden of care-related work, patriarchal violence against women, and economic opportunities for women. 

Aurat March 2021 has faced immense backlash with some viewing the slogans raised as an attempt to impose “western debauchery” in Pakistan with the religious clergy also deeming it to be un-Islamic. A plethora of videos and posts, which have gone viral, aim to smear the organinc women rights movement.

Images purportedly showing the French flag brandished at the Aurat March in Islamabad with social media users accusing them of subscribing to a "foreign agenda" also went viral. However, the claim is false as the French flag  has blue, white and red stripes. Whereas, participants held a flag with red, white and purple stripes, the banner of the Women Democratic Front, which is the main organisers of the marches in various cities.