8M. The purple mobilization for women’s rights

Demands for reproductive and sexual rights – among them the right to free, legal and safe abortion -, the end to gender violence and arbitrary discrimination both in the workplace and in political, cultural and domestic spaces, are the demands that Every March 8, different events commemorating International Women’s Day are held. This year the feminist day is framed internationally by the genocide in Palestine and, in Chile, by the recent approval in Congress of the Comprehensive Law against Violence against Women. Various activities, both in the center of Santiago, as well as in regions and other local territories, will be carried out this 8M.

Ursula Fuentes Rivera. Journalist. “The century”. Santiago. 8/3/2024. There are multiple activities that will be carried out throughout the country this Friday, March 8, to commemorate International Women’s Day, also known as 8M, a date on which women are remembered who, throughout history , have fought for a society without gender gaps, for justice, for better living conditions and for peace.

Likewise, during the 8M, women mobilize and demonstrate publicly to put a stop to gender violence in all its forms – abuse, sexual violence, sexist murders -, demand reproductive and sexual rights, such as free, legal and safe abortion – and to end discrimination against women in the workplace as well as in political, cultural and domestic spaces.

A little history

The idea of ​​an International Women’s Day emerged at the end of the 19th century, but it was different events in the 20th century that led to the commemoration we know today. In 1977, the UN General Assembly adopted March 8 as International Women’s Day, although two years earlier it had already begun to commemorate it.

According to the United Nations, celebrating 8M is closely linked to the feminist movements during the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was March 8, 1917 (February 23, according to the Julian calendar used in Russia), when Russian women They went on strike, demanding bread and peace. Four days later, the Tsar was forced to abdicate and the Provisional Government granted women the right to vote.

Despite the various demonstrations of women at the beginning of the 20th century, especially in Europe, to obtain the right to vote, to improve their working conditions and for equality between women and men, one of the most important events that marked the female struggle , was the death of 149 people, including 123 working women – most of them immigrants and very poor – during the fire that occurred on March 25, 1911 at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York, due to not being able to leave the building, because They had been locked in with no possibility of escape. This event revealed the difficult conditions under which women worked and had great repercussions on labor legislation in the United States.

Regarding the concern about why feminists use purple and, especially during International Women’s Day, the answer suggests that this color was widely used by English and American suffragettes in their fight to achieve reforms that would include them in the political life of their countries.

The great capital march and the deployment in regions and various territories

This 8M in the country, in the case of Santiago, the 8M Feminist Coordinator called for the 8M General March and Feminist Strike, under the motto “for a future without violence or discrimination”, which will begin at 6 p.m., from Plaza Dignidad and will advance along Alameda Bernardo O’Higgins until it ends at the Los Héroes del Metro station.

The Unitary Central of Workers (CUT) will hold a cultural event this March 8, at 4 p.m., in the central lane of Alameda, in front of the CUT headquarters (at the La Moneda Metro station). At 5:30 p.m. the multi-union called for a meeting at the Universidad Católica metro station, to then join the large march that will move through the Alameda.

The third edition of “Tramus: opening paths”, a day of reflection in commemoration of Women’s Day 2024. Tramus, the transfeminist, non-partisan, inclusive and non-profit network, will meet from 1 p.m. to celebrate the contribution of women and dissidents in music. Admission is free and includes the presentation of musicians such as Priscila Ninoska, Val3, Nacha Nava, Luta Cruz, Gatajazz, along with other artists. In addition, between 11 and 12:30 p.m., the workshop will be held “We can all compose music”, directed by the outstanding performer and composer AirelavaleriA.

In Peñalolén, this Friday, between 10 and 12 noon, the 2nd Feminist Mental Health Meeting “Weaving our struggles to organize the future” will be held, which will take place in the Auditorium of the COSAM Family Mental Health Community Center (Los Orientales 7250, La Faena town), with the aim of opening a space where neighbors can talk, play games and reflect on social rights. “We want to continue weaving hopes and struggles, making visible how overload, discrimination and structural violence impact our mental health and the importance of the feminist perspective in health institutions,” said the Feminist Coordinator of Peñalolén on her social networks, which together with the COSAM workers organizes this meeting.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, March 9, at 7 p.m., International Women’s Day is commemorated in the Villa Grimaldi Peace Park, a former detention and torture center, located in. José Arrieta 8401, Peñalolén. There will be a cultural display of arpilleras and the musical participation of the singers Ximena Marchant, Cecilia Concha Laborde and “Marisel Cantante”.

The collective “Mujeres convocadas de La Reina” organized an 8M event in the Plaza Clorinda Henríquez and the same did different feminist groups in several communes of the Metropolitan Region.

The communist women called for an event at 10:30 this Friday in front of the United States embassy (Andrés Bello 2800) to demonstrate against the genocide of the Palestinian people. Then the women of the Communist Party will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the headquarters of their community (Vicuña Mackenna 31) to address the 8M march.

In regions there will also be different meeting points for women who want to demonstrate this March 8, 2024:

-Valparaiso: The 8M Feminist Coordinator called for a demonstration starting at 11:00 a.m. in Plaza Sotomayor and at 6:00 p.m. in Plaza Victoria.

-Viña del Mar: The march will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Flores clock and continue towards Plaza Sucre.

-Quillota: From Odeón Plaza Quillota at 6:00 p.m.

-German Village: At 5:00 p.m. from Plaza Las Américas.

-Done: March from 6:00 p.m. in the Plaza de Buin.

-Iquique: From 6:00 p.m., leaving from Plaza 21 de Mayo to Parque Costa Verde.

-Antofagasta: At 6:00 p.m. at the Pergola on Avenida Brasil. Wear black clothing and purple or green scarves.

-Chañaral: March starts at 7:00 p.m. from the Liceo Federico Varela.

-Caldera: Conversation, march and cacerolazo from the stairs of the University of Atacama.

-Copiapó: March from 6:00 p.m. in the Plaza de Armas.

-Vallenar: Demonstration from 6:00 p.m. in the Plaza de Armas.

-Coquimbo: March from 5:30 p.m. in Empalme.

-La Serena: The demonstration is called from 6:00 p.m. in Plaza Buenos Aires.

-Barns: The demonstration will be in front of the Fire Department at 6:00 p.m.

-Talca: From Plaza La Loba at 6:00 p.m.

-Chillán: From 6:00 p.m. in the Plaza de Armas.

-Conception: From 6:00 p.m. outside the Courts.

-Valdivia: March starts at 6:00 p.m. in Plaza Simón Bolívar.

-Osorno: March from 6:00 p.m. in Plaza Yungay.

Solidarity with Palestinian women

The commemoration of this 8M 2024 is crossed by deep sadness. More than 21 thousand women, girls, boys and the elderly have been murdered in Gaza, which corresponds to 70 percent of the 30 thousand Palestinians massacred until March 1 by Israeli forces, as recognized by the United States.

It should be noted that violence in wars is also expressed in other ways, such as those violences that are not talked about and are therefore difficult to detect, such as sexual violence as a weapon of war, rapes to force mass displacement and sexual slavery, which are part of the brutality exercised against women.

According to data provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), since the attacks began in October 2023, 20,000 babies have been born in the Gaza Strip and their births have occurred in the worst conditions due to the few hospitals that remain in the area. In the same context, many mothers have bled to death, while other women have undergone cesarean sections already dead, in order to save their babies. Therefore, the practice of cesarean sections without anesthesia is an everyday occurrence. .

Faced with this tragedy, the Coordinator for Palestine in Chile has called for mobilization in the great 8M march in Santiago. The Feminists for Palestine will meet this Friday, at 6 p.m., in front of the Theater of the University of Chile, to march to the Los Héroes metro station.

For the right to freedom of feminist expression

A call to mobilize and march together this 8M was also made on its social networks by the College of Journalists of Chile. The starting point will be at 6 p.m. at the former Cinearte Alameda.

“In times where freedom of expression is at risk and efforts are made to silence feminist journalists and communicators, through digital gender violence facilitated by new technologies, we raise our voices as human rights defenders,” the group said.

Likewise, he stressed that “freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the right to communication are rights that must be guaranteed and along with this we must advance in non-sexist media.”

From the Academy

Within the framework of the commemoration of International Women’s Day, the University of Chile organized different activities to reflect and debate the main advances and challenges of the gender equality agenda, both in the university and political, social and cultural context.

The central commemorative event will be held in the Hall of Honor of the Casa de Bello, this Friday, March 8 at 12:30 p.m. and will feature the participation of the academic and 2013 National Humanities and Social Sciences Award Winner, Sonia Montecino. Aguirre, who will give the keynote talk “University Crossroads: gender agenda, equality and political-cultural contexts”, in which she will address the current demands and challenges of the feminist movement.

During the event, the director of Gender Equality of the University of Chile, Carmen Andrade Lara will make a presentation of the work carried out by this unit during the last year, emphasizing some of the main advances of the institution in terms of gender equality and the pending challenges in issues such as gender violence, sexual harassment and arbitrary discrimination. ; social co-responsibility in care and training with a gender perspective, among others.

Meanwhile, on March 26, the Faculty of Medicine community will meet in a ceremony starting at 11:30 a.m., an event in which former president Michelle Bachelet will participate, who will refer to her experience regarding the relevance of women in health sciences professions and their professional training at the University of Chile.