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Hundreds of thousands of women participated in rallies around the world on Saturday to commemorate International Women’s Day and advocate for equality and the end of gender-based violence.
ADVERTISEMENTWomen took to the streets of cities across the globe on Saturday to mark International Women’s Day. Protests and rallies were held in major capitals as activists called for an end to inequality and gender-based violence, among many other demands.Brussels, BelgiumThousands marched in the European capital, Brussels to warn against what organisers of the rally called a “worrying regression” in women’s rights.The rise of the right, and in some cases, far-right, across European countries has led many activists to worry that women’s rights may be under threat.“With the rise of the far right everywhere in Europe there could really be a backlash on the rights (of women and minorities),” said Quentin Poucard, a French protester participating in the Brussels rally.“I could have never thought that abortion could be put into question in the United States and here it is, so if it is possible in the United States it could unfortunately also be possible in Europe. And we cannot let that happen.”Protesters chanted, carried placards and put up banners reading “abortion is a human right” and “women will be free only once all women will be free, from detention centres to prisons, from Congo to Palestine, from the fields to the factories”.For many protesters, participating in the demonstration was not just a matter of activism, but also an opportunity to surround themselves with likeminded individuals.“For me it is important to be here, it brings me a lot of energy because we are surrounded by likeminded people, and sometimes one can feel lonely in everyday life when facing discrimination on a daily basis,” said Candice Palmer, a Brussels resident.“So it is very empowering to be surrounded by people thinking the same way. That is why I am here, and also I am here for the people who can’t be here,” she added.Demonstrators were demanding strengthened social protection for women as well as better rights for migrant women.Rome, ItalyThousands of women also flooded the streets of the Italian capital, Rome, on Saturday, to mark International Women’s Day and protest against gender-based violence.Protesters danced, shouted slogans, held banners and placards and marched through the iconic city centre. They also waved bunches of keys in their hands to highlight the fact that much of the violence against women takes place within the home.“In my opinion, it is not to be fixed and fixed but to be radically changed. There is to be radical change because we need to be a system that is no longer based on this gender oppression,” said a protester.”Life imprisonment is not enough because gender-based violence is a problem that starts from a patriarchal and male chauvinist culture,” noted Francesca, a protestor in Rome.“So it has a foundation within our culture and every day we have attitudes, even if we don’t want to, that are prevaricating.”ADVERTISEMENTThe demonstration in the Italian capital was organised by the feminist group “Non Una Di Meno” (Not One Less).Athens, GreeceHundreds rallied in the Green capital, Athens, to protest against discrimination and inequality.The rally started with live music and dancing from a group of Palestinian women, and speeches from various rights groups. Protesters in Athens noted that whilst women’s rights have come a long way, there is still far more to improve.“I believe that we are in 2025 but still there are many, many things to improve, many things to do, also with the context that we know that women’s rights are not something settled, that we have to keep going,” said Mathilde du Jardin, a Belgian protester in Athens.ADVERTISEMENTOther protesters however warned that women’s rights have come under threat recently, and urgent steps must be taken to correct course.We see a backsliding in matters of managing our bodies, such as abortion,” said Bacopoulou Olga, a local resident.Protesters also carried the Palestinian flag as they advocated for the protection of the rights of Palestinian women, enduring the hardships of war in Gaza, in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.Protesters also demanded an end to gender-based discrimination, like the gender pay-gap.ADVERTISEMENT“Today we definitely deal with discrimination, it is a lie that there is no discrimination. And when I say discrimination, I mean at work, salary,” said Jenny Theofanopoulou, member of women writer’s network “I Foni Tis” (Her Voice).Protesters marched towards the Greek Parliament chanting slogans mainly calling for equality. Riot police were seen guarding the country’s parliament.Istanbul, TurkeyThe Turkish government declared 2025 the “Year of the Family,” a move that many protesters criticised, seeing it as an attempt to further confine women to traditional roles of marriage and motherhood. The government’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention in 2021, which was designed to protect women from domestic violence, has also been a source of anger among activists. The We Will Stop Femicides Platform reported that 394 women were killed by men in Turkey in 2024.Yaz Gulgun, a 52-year-old pensioner, spoke out against the rising rates of femicide in the country, calling for better legal protections and a more supportive police force. She said: ADVERTISEMENT“There is bullying at work, pressure from husbands and fathers at home and pressure from patriarchal society. We demand that this pressure be reduced even further.”While Selvi Alkancelik, a 58-year-old demonstrator, pushed on the desire for women to be free from the restrictions imposed by a patriarchal society, saying “Let women be free. I want them to go somewhere without asking permission from her husband, to go anywhere without fear when she returns home at night, to go anywhere freely without fear. I want freedom for all women in the world.” Despite a ban on public demonstrations by The Beyoğlu district governor, in Taksim Square, many women plan to gather later in the evening for a Feminist Night March, pushing back against restrictions on their right to protest. Authorities blocked off areas of Istanbul and closed metro stations to prevent these gatherings, citing concerns over public order.
