Tens of thousands of people demonstrated across France on Sunday to defend women's rights, threatened by the rise of conservatism, according to associations. More than 100 organizations called for demonstrations in 150 locations in France. In Paris, the main procession departed from Stalingrad and headed to Place de la République, while the far-right collective Némésis held its own gathering in the west of the capital. The motto 'liberty, equality*, fraternity' was projected onto the Eiffel Tower, with an asterisk symbolizing equality 'under non-consented conditions' for women. Associations are concerned about rights related to sexuality, citing difficulties in accessing abortion due to lack of funding and closure of local structures, according to Sarah Durocher of Planning familial. Associations are demanding an annual budget of three billion euros and a comprehensive framework law to combat sexist and sexual violence.
In Brazil, Sunday's marches for International Women's Day served as a rallying cry against gender-based violence, fueled by the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in Copacabana. The alleged gang rape in Copacabana took place in January, and four suspects handed themselves over to authorities. Rio's Civil Police said the four young men in pretrial detention will be charged with rape, while a fifth suspect, a minor, turned himself in on Friday. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for the minor after his alleged involvement in another case of sexual violence with a similar dynamic to the Copacabana episode came to light, according to Rio state prosecutors' office. A police investigation revealed that in January, the victim received a message from a classmate inviting her to a friend's home, where she was locked in a room and sexually assaulted, according to a March 4 police statement. Lawyers for two of the suspects have denied any wrongdoing, while legal counsel for the remaining three have yet to comment publicly. The father of one of the suspects served as undersecretary for governance and compliance within Rio's state social development and human rights department and was dismissed after the allegations. There were 1,568 reported femicides in Brazil in 2025, a 4.7% increase from the previous year, according to the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety.
It's impossible not to feel indignation when a 17-year-old young woman suffers such brutal sexual violence.
In Italy, thousands protested in Rome on Saturday against wars in the Middle East and judicial reforms proposed by Italy's conservative government. The March 22-23 referendum on judicial system changes is a major political test for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government. Meloni says the reforms are needed to tackle chronic delays in Italy's courts and restore public confidence. Opponents argue the changes could weaken judicial independence and make judges subject to political influence. Anti-war protests have surged since large-scale U.S. and Israeli air attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. Demonstrations also took place across Spain on Saturday, with rallies in dozens of cities calling for an end to the conflict in the Middle East.
In Switzerland, demonstrators in Lausanne demanded more resources for care, public services, and prevention of sexist and sexual violence, as well as more nurseries and an end to austerity policies and military spending, according to major media. In Zurich, an unauthorized feminist event occurred where masked women blocked tram traffic, some bus shelters and shop windows were tagged, and police briefly used rubber bullets and tear gas, according to major media. Heterosexual men were instructed not to participate in the Zurich demonstration, according to major media. In Bern, about 1,000 demonstrators opposed patriarchal violence, fascism, and the rightward shift of society, and denounced banks and sexism, according to major media. Switzerland recorded 29 femicides last year, and five women have been killed this year, according to major media.
I've heard of kids on social media as young as six or seven years old, which is really scary, so the education needs to follow.
In the United Kingdom, more than 100 women marched through London on Saturday, March 21, in protest of being told they look like 'mutton dressed as lamb', according to major media. The Mutton March was organized by Amanda FitzGerald after a man insulted her outside a Tube station in June 2025, according to major media. The Mutton March was held on the King's Road in Chelsea, with women wearing whatever they liked and carrying placards, according to major media. TV presenter Zara McDermott called for primary school children to be educated on consent to prevent violence against women, according to major media. Zara McDermott attended a protest outside Parliament as part of the Refuge charity's Home Is Where the Hurt Is campaign, according to major media. The protest featured a pink front door with the number 75, representing the number of women killed by domestic homicide in the year ending March 2025, according to major media. Georgia Harrison said abuse often occurs in homes, not just from strangers, and it isn't always physical, according to major media.
In Germany, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Berlin on International Women's Day for gender equality, according to major media. A rally in Berlin-Kreuzberg was called by a broad alliance of trade unions, associations, and initiatives, according to major media. Some placards demanded 'solidarity with the resistance in Iran' in light of developments in the Middle East, according to major media. Katja Karger accused the federal government of attacking the welfare state and demanded better protection for women against sexual violence at work, no restriction on the right to part-time work, and adherence to the 8-hour day, according to major media.
What we are hoping for is some more funding in the sector of creating safe houses and refuges for women when they are fleeing domestically violent relationships.
The choice of March 8 for defending women's rights dates back to the Russian revolution in 1917, according to major media. The UN officialized 'International Women's Day' in 1977, according to major media. The exact number of participants in the various International Women's Day demonstrations across different countries is not known.
If justice doesn't work, if it's slow, if it's inefficient, if it's unfair, then the whole machine gets stuck and everyone pays the consequences.