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UP FRONT Friday 9 March 2018

Int'l Women's Day: Protests, a strike, a Russian's apology

By DAVID CRARY and unequal pay. The day class." I freely or involuntarily Weinstein of rape in an ex-
AP National Writer culminated with street pro- Another government initia- caused suffering." pose by The New Yorker.
A 24-hour strike by mil- tests in scores of cities. The tive would fine companies The apology came after She faced a backlash in It-
lions of Spanish women. A aly, with critics questioning
crackdown in France on why she waited 20 years to
companies violating gen- come forward.
der-equal pay policies. In German Chancellor Ange-
Russia, a candid apology la Merkel, one of the world's
from a powerful legislator most powerful women, said
to women he sexually ha- in a video message that the
rassed. quest for greater gender
Many of the Internation- equality in Germany and
al Women's Day events worldwide must continue.
on Thursday powerful- "Many women before us
ly echoed the #MeToo have made sacrifices and
movement that has mobi- fought persistently so that
lized women against sexual women would have more
violence and workplace rights," she said. "But there's
harassment. still a lot to do."
Demonstrators filled the In Rome, Catholic women
streets in several Asian cit- challenged Pope Francis
ies, including Manila, Seoul to give women a greater
and New Delhi. Clad in pink voice in church affairs.
and purple shirts, the activ- Former Irish President Mary
ists in Manila lambasted McAleese, an advocate
Philippine President Ro- for women's ordination and
drigo Duterte, calling him gay rights, accused the
among the worst violators church's all-male leader-
of women's rights in Asia. Protesters take part in a Women's Day march in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, March 8, 2018. A few ship of refusing to change
Human rights groups have thousand women and men chanting women's rights slogans marched through central Warsaw to women's second-class sta-
condemned Duterte's sex- mark the International Women's Day. tus.
ist remarks, including a sug- (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) "The Catholic Church has
gestion that troops shoot long since been a primary
female communist rebels in global carrier of the toxic vi-
the genitals. theme was "If we stop, the with more than 50 employ- demonstrators, including rus of misogyny," McAleese
In Pakistan's largest city, world stops." ees if there is an "unjustified" opposition presidential said.
Karachi, a throng of activ- Social services worker Te- gender wage gap. candidate Ksenia Sob- In Uganda, where domes-
ists was joined by a victim resa Sonsur, protesting in The left-leaning French dai- chak, picketed outside tic violence is common and
of one of the acid attacks Madrid, said she wanted to ly Liberation said that for Parliament, demanding often goes unreported,
frequently perpetrated end workplace discrimina- one day only, men would Slutsky's resignation. Ugandan President Yoweri
in the country by embit- tion at her agency. have to pay 50 cents more In Italy, actress Asia Argen- Museveni urged men to
tered men. Black glasses "The women are doing all than women for the news- to, who helped sparked stop abusing their wives.
covered part of her badly the hard work, dealing with paper, a reminder that the #MeToo campaign last "If you want to fight, why
burned face. the customers, but in the women in France, on aver- year, said she is launching a don't you look for a fel-
Hundreds of women gath- positions of management it age, are paid 25 percent new movement, #WeToo, low man and fight?" said
ered in Afghanistan's capi- is always men," the 38-year- less than men. to unite women against a Museveni, calling domestic
tal, Kabul, to commemo- old woman said. In a striking development in power imbalance favoring abusers cowards.
rate the occasion and urge French companies that Russia, the head of Parlia- men. At a star-studded event
more progress on women's treat women unequally ment's foreign affairs com- Argento told Radio 24 that at the United Nations, U.N.
political rights, education may soon face new pres- mittee apologized after her aim is "to finally change Secretary-General Antonio
and safety. During Taliban sure and penalties. Presi- being accused of sexual the patriarchal system so Guterres called on men
rule, many women would dent Emmanuel Macron harassment by several fe- rooted in our culture, not to join in making gender
have been afraid to leave says his government is go- male journalists. Noting it just in Italy." equality "a reality for all."
their homes. ing to name and shame was International Women's Argento helped embold- "This is what women and
In Spain, major unions esti- such companies. He pre- Day, Leonid Slutsky said on en other women to report girls want. And that is what
mated that 5.3 million peo- dicted positive changes Facebook, "I am using the sexual assault and harass- I want," he said. "It is what
ple joined the strike, which "because no one wants to occasion to ask forgiveness ment when she accused every sensible man and
targeted gender violence be the worst student in the from those of you whom Hollywood mogul Harvey boy should want."q