On Tuesday, Mira Sethi shared a clip of herself at a panel discussing why the slogan ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’ (my body, my choice) sparks controversy in Pakistan and is seen as a threat to traditional values.
“Why is ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’ so polarising? I think it is [polarising] because it goes right to the heart of patriarchy in our context, which is premised on the control of women’s bodies and their sexuality,” Mira said.
She added that the slogan comes across as a threat because it challenges what men and women are socialised to believe. “Women saying that they will not cede control of their bodies is a threat to the entire social structure. Because in general, women are thought to be the property of their male kin, by which I mean male relatives. Before marriage, they belong to their fathers, and after marriage, to their husbands. ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’ is a refusal to submit to that system of patriarchal control.”
Given the nature of the controversy, the Kuch Ankahi actor turned off her comments under the post. However, she did not shy away from stance, as she later posted a clip from an interview where she addressed men’s need to police women’s clothing.
Recalling a degrading comment under a colleague’s post where said colleague wore clothes that prompted criticism, Mira said, “Someone wrote, ‘Now if I fall prey to my masculinity and say or do something you don’t like, then you’ll complain.’ What does this even mean, becoming so helpless against your masculinity? Is your definition of ‘masculinity’ so fragile that it limits itself and your dignity to a woman’s clothes? Is this your masculinity?”
She added that it is absolutely possible for an empowered woman and a broad-minded man to co-exist in a society without one gender posing harm to the other. She also believes that masculinity as a concept has been reduced to trivial ideas of control, in that it feels threatened by a woman’s right to choose. Baffled by the ‘masculine’ desire to control women, she admitted that she doesn’t understand this mindset at all.
Urging men to expand their minds, Mira said, “If I encounter a man who’s wearing ripped jeans, I’m not going to say things like, ‘You are inviting me to sin.’ Women don’t say such outrageous things. Why is that? Firstly, our minds don’t stray that far. And secondly, society hasn’t given us the right to berate men like that. But they believe otherwise.”
