[WATCH] 'Women still considered inferior to men': Activists take to Valletta on Women’s Day

'Women still considered inferior to men': Activists take to Valletta on Women’s Day

Women, non-binary, trans people and allies of the feminist movement took to the streets of Valletta on Friday afternoon to mark international Women’s Day.

This year’s theme, ‘United for Collective Liberation’, emphasises the need to join forces for change - a change that will liberate women from oppression and injustice.

The women said that while incremental reforms towards justice are essential, they aim to see a much more radical, global change in relationships and institutions. They also pointed out that the rights we enjoy today are thanks to the countless brave women who were not afraid to put their lives on the line for us, and that they will carry on that legacy.

Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

Amongst many placards in the march, there were several that remembered women like Bernice Cilia and Sion Grech. The marchers stood in solidarity with those who were unable to join today and reminded the courts that justice delayed is indeed justice denied, as in the cases of Bernice and Sion.

Addressing the event, Dr Angele Deguara from Moviment Graffitti said despite the country being called democratic, her voice as a woman is rarely heard by those in power.

Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

“I live in a society that condemns me if I am known to have had an abortion; I live in a country where reproductive services are almost non-existent. I live in a country where a person can be thrown into prison if suspected of having had an abortion or have their passport confiscated if authorities believe she might travel abroad to undergo the procedure – issues that have emerged in recent years.”

“I live in a country where very few female politicians advocate for rights like these. Not only that, but in the past year, the law has been amended to cover up to protect the health of women and other individuals who may be at risk and want to terminate their pregnancies, and we have regressed more than we have progressed. Because I live in a country where the value of women is much less than that of an embryo, and the Maltese government and the Church always feel the need to protect the so-called sanctity of life,” she said.

Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

She said the country’s highest political figures are more concerned about getting the media limelight, then fighting for equality.

“I live in a patriarchal and capitalist society where a woman is still considered inferior to a man on average, a country where you have to pay more for products that are used more by women only, where the primary interest of politicians is not that of the people but of those with financial power and influence,” she said.

She said women want collective liberation and to be treated equally.

Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

Cynthia Chircop, coordinator of MGRM, the Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement, said Women’s Day is 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 us to live in a society that is free from patriarchal oppression.

Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

Chricop, who used the pro-noun they, said women continue to face harassment, catcalling, unequal distribution of care responsibilities, unequal pay, belittlement and pervasive sexism and misogyny, domestic violence and rape daily.

They pointed out 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.

Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday

“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,” protestors said.