Women’s rights march held in Skopje
Skopje, 8 March 2024 (MIA) – Skopje saw Wednesday its eight women’s rights march, held under the slogan “Red line: Women’s rights not up for debate!” by the Gender Equality Platform on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Eight red lines were drawn at the march – unlimited access to safe and legal medical abortion in every municipality; equal pay for equal work and equal wages for men and women; institutions in charge of preventing and protecting women from gender-based violence to act with due diligence; transformation of the status of female cultural workers who face uncertainty regarding their employment status; 50 percent representation of women in positions of power; systemic solution for access to paid maternity leave and sick leave for women farmers; action for women workers and ensured care for their children, and fight against bribery and corruption.
According to organizers, the red lines aren’t only demands, but also guidelines for measures that can lead to progress.
The red lines of Ana Avramovska Nushkova from the National Network to End Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, who participated in the march, are “a society which recognizes violence, zero raped women, for all perpetrators of violence to end up in jail and be appropriately sanctioned”.
“Today’s march is for equality and equity of all women, for equal wages and equal employment opportunities, for better healthcare services, for a society that won’t foster a culture of violence,” she said.
For Tanja Ivanova from Reactor – Research in Action, women’s rights are not up for debate and are a part of human rights.
“The fight isn’t over and there’s a lot more work to be done so we can have equal rights, and all of us, the civil sector, the institutions and the people we represent, need to work together towards a social transformation that would then allow us all to equally enjoy every right in this society,” said Ivanova.
International Women’s Day is marked each year on March 8. It honors the struggle of women for economic, political and social equality.
