Aurat March Lahore — Women's Rights in Punjab

Lahore's Aurat March has been larger and more controversial than any other city's. Punjab's political and religious landscape makes women's rights activism particularly charged here.

Lahore's specific challenges

• Conservative religious establishment with significant political influence
• Strong pressure on women to conform to traditional gender roles
• High rates of domestic violence with low reporting due to family pressure
• Honour-based violence — Lahore's surrounding districts have some of the highest rates in Pakistan

What Lahore's women have achieved

The Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act (2016) was passed partly due to sustained women's rights advocacy. It is imperfect. It is under-enforced. But it exists because women demanded it.