‘Women’s day every day’ march to take place on Women’s Day

A march has been planned to mark International Women’s Day on Sunday to celebrate women’s achievements.

This year’s slogan, ‘Women’s Day Every Day’, highlights the ongoing daily struggles women encounter in society, as stated by a coalition of organizations led by Moviment Graffiti.

The march will go through Valletta on Sunday, 8th March, bringing together women, trans and non-binary people and their allies to mark International Women's Day.

"Women's Day is not about chocolates and flowers. The first women's march in 1909 grew out of the labour movement, with women demanding humane working hours, better pay and the right to vote," the organisers said.

The march will begin at Triton Fountain at 3pm, then end at St George's Square, where social justice groups will deliver speeches. Performers will also take to the stage.

The event is organised by Moviment Graffiti and endorsed by more than a dozen organisations.

This year's theme comes amid persistent inequality. One in every three women in the European Union has experienced physical or sexual violence, and Malta is no exception.

The organisers pointed to violent men being released on bail over technicalities, and women being charged with abortion after being reported by abusive partners or healthcare professionals, as ongoing examples of patriarchal injustice.

While the past year saw no new femicide victims in Malta, the many commemorations of murdered women serve as a constant reminder of the price women continue to pay.

The statement also drew attention to women beyond Malta's shores, particularly in Iran, Palestine, Afghanistan and Sudan, who have continued fighting for their rights amid conflict and what the organisers described as external powers using claims of feminist liberation to advance colonial ideologies.

"Let us march together to free ourselves from the shackles of patriarchy," the organisers wrote. "Let us fight for our fallen sisters, in Malta and across the world. Let us feel the collective anger and be inspired by it."

The organisations endorsing the march include aditus foundation, Dance Beyond Borders, the University of Malta's Department of Gender and Sexualities, Doctors for Choice, Humanists Malta, Malta Gay Rights Movement, Malta Women's Lobby, Men Against Violence, Migrant Women Association Malta, IVY, JC Diversity Committee, SOS Malta, Women Elevation Malta, Women for Women, Women's Rights Foundation, Young Progressive Beings, and Żminijietna Malta.