From celebrations to anti-war protests

Thousands of women around the world have marked International Women’s Day (IWD) by demanding equal pay, better representation in political life and an end to violence against women.

Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine some women came together to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Here’s a look at how the day was marked around the world.

Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska issued an impassioned statement on the evening of IWD about the Russian invasion.

She focused on child casualties, mentioning the names of three children who had died in the bombardments.

She said the invasion was,”impossible to believe. Our country was peaceful; our cities, towns and villages were full of life”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opened his morning video address on Tuesday with these words:

“Ukrainians, we usually celebrate this holiday, the holiday of spring. We congratulate our women, our daughters, wives, mothers. Usually. But not today.”

“Today I cannot say the traditional words. I just can’t congratulate you. I can’t, when there are so many deaths. When there is so much grief, when there is so much suffering. When the war continues,” he said.

In Poland, at an annual women’s rights rally to celebrate International Women’s Day called Manifa, some women held anti-war banners to show their solidarity with the Ukrainian people following the Russian invasion.

Every year, on 8 March, the Romanian Police offer flowers to people in road traffic. This year they extended the initiative to refugees arriving from Ukraine.

“We are happy to put a smile on their faces in such difficult times and we look forward to continuing this tradition,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Bogdan Ghebaur, spokesman for the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police.

Meanwhile, in Russia some activists united under the banner of the Feminist Anti-War Resistance.

Members of the network left flowers at World War Two memorials across the country to send a message to the Russian authorities that they stand with the people in Ukraine.

“Bringing flowers and the flag of Ukraine to these Second World War memorials meant our activists took a risk,” says Ella Rossman who is an external coordinator for the network based in London, referring to legislation that was introduced in 2021 with offenders facing possible prison sentences for insulting WW2 veterans.

In Myanmar, young women in Yangon protested the ongoing military coup by carrying banners with slogans that read: “Our revolutionary spirit never dies.”

They also held up the Ukrainian flag, “to show solidarity with the oppressed people of Ukraine,” says the group calling itself Yangon Revolution Force.

In Istanbul, Turkey, police used tear gas to disperse protestors after the Governor’s office banned marches marking the event around the city’s Taksim Square.

Women were protesting against gender-based violence and Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.

The convention is a legally-binding international treaty, covering domestic violence and seeking to end legal impunity for perpetrators. Turkey’s conservative government withdrew from the convention in March 2021.

In Kenya, women activists took to the streets on IWD to demand justice and protection for women.

This comes after a video went viral showing a woman being sexually assaulted by multiple motorcycle riders, in full glare of the public.

The video caused uproar and 16 men have been arrested in connection with the assault on 4 March.

The incident has sparked a larger debate on what is considered to be unruly and mob justice behaviour by motorcycle operators in Kenya, the response by the police, as well as the safety of women on public transport and in public spaces.

In Pakistan, 94 participants of the Women on Wheels (WOW) project got on their bikes.

The initiative, conceived by the founder of the Salman Sufi Foundation in 2016, trains women to ride motorbikes, get their license and get into employment.

The group rode their bikes around the city of Karachi in celebration of International Women’s Day and being granted their licenses.

“It’s been one of the best experiences of my life, it’s given me self confidence and made me challenge my potential,” says Jawairiya Mughal who took part in the ride.

In Seoul, cafeteria workers and officials from South Korea’s Progressive Party took part in a “Pay Me Too” gender wage gap protest.

Korea has the highest wage gap among the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members, with Korean women paid a third less on average than their male counterparts.

In Lagos, Nigeria, women’s groups protested outside a government building, using #BreakTheConstitutionBias to highlight what they say is a deep rooted political bias against women in the country.

This year’s International Women’s Day took on a special significance in Nigeria after the rejection of five gender equality bills by the Nigerian National Assembly whilst making constitutional amendments on 1 March.

One of the amendments, if passed, would have given provisions to assign 35% of legislative seats to women, as well as reserving 35% of political party leadership for women.

“Nigerian women demand proper representation at all levels of government.” says Obong Anwan Barbara James who attended the protest. The government have since promised to reconsider three of the bills.

In Hyderabad, India, medical students from Kamineni Hospitals took part in a rally to create awareness around women’s health.

They held purple balloons, a colour associated with IWD. “Purple signifies justice and dignity” according to the International Women’s Day website

In El Salvador, women spray painted messages that highlighted violence against women during a demonstration.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), gender-based violence is an urgent issue in El Salvador, with torture and forced disappearances frequently carried out by organised crime groups.

Azerbaijan’s feminist movement held a march demanding authorities investigate crimes against women under the slogan: “8 March – we cannot be silent”.

Unlike previous years, the protests in the capital Baku were not dispersed by the police.

In Scotland, several hundred swimmers took a sunrise dip in the North Sea in aid of women’s charities.

Additional reporting by Esther Ogola and Azeezat Olaoluwa.