by Organizers of Pakistan’s “aura March” (Women’s March) set up an art installation in the form of a tunnel on a street in Lahore, in which recorded shouts of men were played to draw attention to sexual harassment on the street.
aura March is an annual demonstration in cities like Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta to celebrate International Women’s Day.
This year the group installed Chalien Auraton Ki Chaal (Walk like a woman) so people can walk through and experience the discomfort they feel while footage of men harassing women in the street is played through speakers.
“The tunnel piece is an exercise in empathy, in conveying our gendered experiences as we walk down streets, in marketplaces, through office doors,” said Aurat March.
“Ask any minority gender how they feel when they are in public spaces: each of us will have many stories of harassment, discomfort and instances where the streets have not felt like ours.
“The artwork plays sound bits of our daily public interactions.
“Aurat March is ultimately about reclaiming public space, never settling for Chaar-Dewaris, but stretching more inside and outside of our homes. This requires men to introspect the way they occupy public spaces. We hope this piece helps with that.”
Many people reacted to the installation on Twitter.
Journalist Saba Eitizaz wrote: “I literally had flashbacks.
“I heard every one of those calls… and worse, every day of my life growing up in Pakistan. It actually started before I hit puberty. That’s how sick the harassment is. But talk to a man and he will tell you that women are safest in Pakistan.”
Another person added: “I felt awkward just watching the video. My goodness. It’s unbelievable that this shit happens every day and everywhere.”
One person wrote, “This is so frighteningly accurate.”
According to Geo News, this year’s Aurat march in Pakistan turned violent on Wednesday (March 8) when protesters clashed with police.
A brawl reportedly broke out outside the press club, with police beating attendees with batons and allegedly attempting to “stop” the rally.
Rape Crisis provides support for victims of rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland or visit their website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
