Day of awareness brings protests, a strike and a Russian’s apology
A 24-hour strike by millions of Spanish women. A crackdown in France on companies violating genderequal pay policies. In Russia, a candid apology from a powerful legislator to women he sexually harassed.
Many of the International Women’s Day events on Thursday powerfully echoed the #MeToo movement that has mobilized women against sexual violence and workplace harassment.
Demonstrators filled the streets in several Asian cities, including Manila, Seoul and New Delhi. Clad in pink and purple shirts, the activists in Manila lambasted Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, calling him among the worst violators of women’s rights in Asia. Human rights groups have condemned Duterte’s sexist remarks, including a suggestion that troops shoot female communist rebels in the genitals.
In Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, a throng of activists was joined by a victim of one of the acid attacks frequently perpetrated in the country by embittered men. Black glasses covered part of her badly burned face.
Hundreds of women gathered in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, to commemorate the occasion and urge more progress on women’s political rights, education and safety. During Taliban rule, many women would have been afraid to leave their homes.
In Spain, major unions estimated that 5.3 million people joined the strike, which targeted gender violence and unequal pay. The day culminated with street protests in scores of cities. The theme was “If we stop, the world stops.”
Social services worker Teresa Sonsur, protesting in Madrid, said she wanted to end workplace discrimination at her agency.
“The women are doing all the hard work, dealing with the customers, but in the positions of management it is always men,” the 38-yearold woman said.
French companies that treat women unequally may soon face new pressure and penalties. President Emmanuel Macron says his government is going to name and shame such companies. He predicted positive changes “because no one wants to be the worst student in the class.”
In a striking development in Russia, the head of Parliament’s foreign affairs committee apologized after being accused of sexual harassment by several female journalists. Noting it was International Women’s Day, Leonid Slutsky said on Facebook, “I am using the occasion to ask forgiveness from those of you whom I freely or involuntarily caused suffering.”
The apology came after demonstrators, including opposition presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak, picketed outside Parliament, demanding Slutsky’s resignation.