Aurat March to hold protest on Mother’s Day against unrecognised domestic work

The Aurat March organisers in Karachi have announced a demonstration on Mother’s Day (March 11) to highlight the unrecognised household labor imposed on women by society.

The protest will focus on the burden of household responsibilities on women, particularly how working women are forced to manage both professional and domestic tasks without an equitable division of labor among family members.

The annual socio-political demonstration, traditionally held in multiple cities across Pakistan, will take place in Karachi this year on Mother’s Day to protest the unrealistic societal expectations placed on mothers.

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The organisers have faced challenges in obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) in various cities, as the march is being held sequentially across different parts of the country.

Despite their immense sacrifices and contributions to their households, the labor of mothers remains unrecognized as work and is instead seen as an obligatory duty.

“Whether at home or in the workplace, we are expected to do it all—working jobs, raising children, running households—while being denied recognition, rights, and rest,” the Aurat March organisers stated in an Instagram post.

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“If we work outside, we come home to more work. If we stay home, our labor isn’t even considered work. And if we refuse, we are made to feel guilty—if not subjected to worse outcomes like abuse and/or death,” they added.

The organisers have also announced a press conference on Friday ahead of their Sunday protest in Karachi.

Meanwhile, Aurat March Islamabad has declared that they will proceed with their March 8 protest with or without an NOC, as the administration has yet to grant approval despite the submission of an application before Ramazan.