‘Keep Your Flowers – We Want Change’: Activists March In Valletta For Gender Equality On International Women’s Day
Women, non-binary, trans people and allies marched in the streets of Valletta yesterday to commemorate International Women’s Day.
This year’s theme “United For Collective Liberation” emphasised the need to join forces for change – a change which will liberate women from oppression and injustice.
“This day was not just an opportunity for corporate well-wishes and superficial politics but a manifestation of the ongoing struggles for gender equality while acknowledging that there are still so many battles left to fight for women to live in a society which is free from patriarchal oppression,” activists said in a statement.
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Amongst many placards in the march, there were several which remembered women like Bernice Cilia and Sion Grech. Activists stood in solidarity with those who were unable to join the march and reminded the courts that justice delayed is indeed justice denied, as in the cases of Bernice and Sion.
Domestic violence cases continue to be heard by just two magistrates with backlogs of up to a year while action to tackle domestic violence remains insufficient at best.
During the march, Sandra Ramirez, who was murdered by her ex-partner at the beginning of the year, was also remembered and activists pointed out how this murder is an illustration of how pervasive patriarchal violence remains in our society.
During the march, activists noted that Malta’s abortion ban continues to dehumanise women and to deny them their rights.
They called on politicians to do their duty and to legislate in favour of the right for women and other pregnant persons to decide for themselves whether they want to continue with a pregnancy or to terminate it.
The women present at the march said they felt betrayed by politicians and by the Church, which prioritise the preservation of embryos over women’s rights.
They said that last year, politicians betrayed women even more by amending the law and making it even more difficult for women and other persons to terminate a pregnancy, even if their life is at risk.
On International Women’s Day, the protesters called for action and stated: “Keep your flowers – we want change. We want to feel safe inside and outside our homes; to be paid the same as men; to have equal opportunities; to end the occupational powers ravaging other countries under the guise of our rights; and to be finally liberated from our collective shackles. Only then can we redesign our society away from our systems of oppression to a system of care and respect. If our liberation is not a collective one, then it is neither fair nor just.”
This year’s Women’s Day march was endorsed by these organisations: aditus foundation, Antide Malta, Doctors for Choice, Humanists Malta, IVY Malta – Interrupting Violence towards Youth, Malta Dance Beyond Borders, Malta LGBT Rights Movement, MGRM, Men Against Violence, Migrant Women Association, Moviment Graffitti, The Gender and Sexualities Department, University of Malta, The Malta Women’s Lobby, Women for Women, Women’s Rights Foundation, YMCA Malta, Young Progressive Beings, YPB
Did you attend yesterday’s protest?
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