On International Women’s Day, 8 March 2022, in Karachi, the HBWWF’s rally marched from Fawara Chowk to the Arts Council.

In this rally, participants raised slogans against patriarchy and injustice in Pakistan.

There were chants and performances for women’s socio-economic independence.

A theatre performance was also staged to highlight the unjust and unequal treatment of women that stemmed from deep-rooted patriarchal mindsets, in both rural and urban settings.

Depicted here is a participant calling for peace, bread and equality for all.

Verses from Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s poetry were frequently quoted in posters as a medium of resistance for female labourers.

A transgender activist played a dafli while chanting for trans-rights and visibility.

Posters were also raised that contained demands for criminalisation of violence against women, children and minorities.

Women representatives of the rally discussed the direct impact of poverty, inflation, unemployment and environmental degradation on women and children.

Children engaged in informal labour also carried flags and posters of the HBWWF.

A vibrant performance was staged to Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s historic poem of resistance, Hum Dekhain Ge.

Other HBWWF posters called out the social oppression of women.

Other participants raised posters demanding fair wages.

Poster were also raised demanding the Sindh government to register home-based women workers within the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) system.

Protestors carried a banner advancing demands for equal pay and social security.

Participants of the rally also demanded the registration of home-based workers and haris for social security and pension institutions


Muskan Firdous is a student of media studies at Iqra University who lives in Karachi.

"Freedom is one of my core values, and I believe that education and financial independence brings awareness and the chance to exercise it. When it came to my attention that these women were assembling to demand the freedom to exercise their fundamental and constitutional rights, I jumped at the chance to document it."