On the occasion of marking March 8th, International Women's Day, women's networks, organizations and individuals from Belgrade organized a protest march against the patriarchy and capitalism that hold women in a subordinate position. The protest march, which left the Republic Square, stopped in front of one of the banks in the city center and the Government of the Republic of Serbia in order to state their demands, was attended by around 600 participants. The demands of the organizers concerned the labor rights of women, the double burdening of women, reproductive rights and violence against women. In this way, the Women's Movement in Serbia joined the international initiative "Women's Strike", which united women in similar actions from Argentina to Poland, from Ireland to Mexico.
After reading the demands, coat hangers, empty workbooks and red shoes were left on the threshold of the Government of the RS as symbols indicating the importance of free, easily accessible and safe abortion, equal treatment of women and men in employment and work, the right for women to live without violence and the fear of violence.
The participants of the event recalled the rights and freedoms inherited from the Anti-Fascist Front of Women and socialist modernization, which are under constant attacks of traditional, backward right-wing policies today. They marched for international solidarity under the slogan: Death to fascism, freedom to women!
Photo: Marija Janković
