From Paris to Jakarta, Women Rally Globally Against Inequality and Far-Right Surge

PARIS, March 9 — Protesters took to the streets across the globe on Saturday to mark International Women’s Day, demanding equal pay, political representation, and an end to gender-based violence, while voicing concerns over increasing repression.

In eastern Ukraine, demonstrators held a moment of silence to honor women who lost their lives defending the country against Russia’s invasion. Many carried banners displaying the faces of the fallen.

“Women make up half of our society, and we must recognize their contributions, their sacrifices, and their role in securing our country’s freedom and independence,” activist Iryna Lysykova told AFP in Kharkiv.

Across European capitals, including Paris, Berlin, and Madrid, many protesters expressed alarm over the growing influence of reactionary political forces, particularly the rise of the far-right.

“We are regressing,” said Dori Martinez Monroy, 63, at the Madrid march. “We need to reclaim what has already been won because women are always the first to be targeted.”

In Jakarta, activist Ajeng criticized the Indonesian government for budget cuts that she said were stripping women of their rights.

“Women are being killed, impoverished, and criminalized,” she stated, as protesters nearby held signs reading “This body belongs to me” and “Glory to the women of the working class.”

‘The Fight Isn’t Over’

Some demonstrators directed their anger at US President Donald Trump.

In Paris, members of the feminist activist group Femen marched topless, with either the US or Russian national flag—marked with a swastika—painted on their chests.

Dozens of women have accused Trump of sexual abuse, and his administration has faced criticism for policies seen as restricting women’s rights.

“This is a battle, and it’s not over,” said 49-year-old Sabine, who marched alongside her seven-year-old son in Paris. Organizers estimated the turnout at around 250,000, while police reported 47,000.

“We’re moving in the right direction. Trump and the masculinists make a lot of noise, but they are not as strong as we are,” she told AFP.

At the Berlin protest, demonstrators held placards with messages such as “Burn the patriarchy, not the planet.”

One marcher, Steff Voigt, voiced her concerns about the future.

“It’s frightening to see women’s rights being reversed because of the far-right, especially in the USA,” she said.

In Istanbul, protester Cigdem Ozdemir condemned male violence against women and criticized the Turkish government’s decision to declare 2025 as "The Year of the Family."

“With this declaration, women are being confined to their homes,” she said, adding that LGBTQ individuals like herself were being “criminalized.”

“Today, we are here to make our struggle visible, to defend our lives against male violence, and to fight for our place in society and our rights,” she said.

‘Women Will Overthrow the Regime’

Iran’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi declared that women would be the ones to overthrow the Islamic republic, established after the 1979 revolution.

“Women have risen against the Islamic republic in a way that the regime can no longer suppress them,” Mohammadi said in a video message, appearing without the mandatory headscarf.

Mohammadi, 52, who won the 2023 Nobel Prize for her years-long activism in Iran, is currently on temporary medical release from prison. However, her lawyers fear she could be re-imprisoned at any time. — AFP