A thread on my unpopular opinion: men should not be allowed to attend Aurat March.

Aurat March must be unconditionally supported by men at each step, but its attendees should exclusively be women. Aurat March is richer being a safe space for women while devoid of potential male imposters who later leverage it. It is by women & for women. Feel free to disagree.

Sure, one might back the inclusion of well-intentioned men. However, men offer no perspective that women can't, & have access various other platforms to amplify their voices on. And where, you might ask? Everywhere!

I'd much rather have ten old women who've suffered from the hands of patriarchy attend the march because they feel secure in a woman-only zone.

Their voices & presence are infinitely more valuable than the posturing of a thousand pretend-woke men.

Being the most privileged gender in society, men must actively work towards dismantling their privilege through allyship.

Of course, the right to decision on this issue rests with women & women alone. Their judgement would be binding, followed, & unquestionably respected.

Aurat March could be your own exclusive platform. For your voice. Unfiltered. Undiluted. As Tahira Abdullah stated, women do not need men to grant them rights. Women are born with their rights. We support you whether we are asked to stand next to you or told to applaud from afar.

That said, I fully understand & respect the other side where the inclusion of men is seen to be beneficial to the movement.

I acknowledge the existence of flaws for choosing to walk down this path, but please remember that the answer to this might not be binary.

P.S. I'm not lecturing others on what Aurat March should and shouldn't be.

I'm not here to change your opinions. You do you. I'm just voicing my thoughts here. Don't crucify me please.

Late but a relevant point: https://twitter.com/SageShahSuri/status/1273266855340388355?s=19