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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 9 March 2019
International Women’s Day: Strikes, protests and holidays

By BARRY HATTON Francis has vowed to give for the trailblazing French line and burned to death young said that South Ko-
ARITZ PARRA more decision-making roles politician and Holocaust — every year because the rea struggles to accept
Associated Press to women in the Catholic survivor Veil, who spear- groom or his family feel the that women are “also hu-
MADRID (AP) — Marches Church, where the priest- headed the fight to legal- dowry she brought to the mans” and that women
and protests are held Fri- hood —and therefore the ize abortion. wedding was inadequate. have to fight until they can
day across the globe to highest ranks of authority— Meanwhile in Russia, Inter- Political parties in India “walk around safely.”
mark International Wom- In the North, where Wom-
en’s Day under the slogan en’s Day is one of the few
#BalanceforBetter, with national holidays that is not
calls for a more gender- explicitly political in nature,
balanced world. people dressed up for fam-
The day, sponsored by ily photo shoots or bought
the United Nations since roses for their mothers or
1975, celebrates women’s wives at the many small,
achievements and aims to bright orange street stalls in
further their rights. central Pyongyang that sell
Thousands of women flowers. The stalls normally
walked off the job in do most of their business
Spain, joining millions more selling flowers to be placed
around the world demand- at the feet of statues to the
ing equality amid a persis- country’s leaders.
tent salary gap, violence In the Philippines, hundreds
and widespread inequality. of women in purple shirts
____ used a noisy march and
EUROPE protest in Manila to call for
Police in the Ukrainian cap- the ouster of President Ro-
ital Kiev detained three drigo Duterte, whom they
people as far-right demon- rebuked for the often sexist
strators tried to provoke ac- jokes he cracks and author-
tivists protesting domestic Women march as they shout slogans during the International Women’s Day in Barcelona, Spain, itarian moves they say are
and sexual violence. Friday, March 8, 2019. threatening one of Asia’s
About 300 people gathered Associated Press liveliest democracies.
on Mykhailivska Square in They toppled an ugly head
central Kiev on Friday for is reserved for men. Some national Women’s Day is a have for years been prom- effigy of Duterte from atop
the women’s rights demon- feminists bristle at Francis’ public holiday but it mostly ising 33 percent of seats paper blocks with slogans
stration. Several dozen far- frequent use of the term lauds gender roles that for women in the country’s depicting him as an Ameri-
right demonstrators stood “feminine genius” and his are now outdated. As is his Parliament, but they have can lapdog.
nearby, holding placards focus on women as moth- custom every year, Presi- yet to enact legislation to ____
reading “God! Homeland! ers. In Germany, topless dent Vladimir Putin gave a that effect. NORTH AMERICA
Patriarchy!” and “Feminism feminist protesters went to speech thanking women In Indonesia’s capital Ja- On the eve of International
is destroying Ukrainian fami- one of the country’s most for their patience, good karta, several hundred Women’s Day, U.S. first lady
lies.” famous red-light districts in grace and support. men and women carried Melania Trump saluted
In Spain, where women’s Hamburg and pulled down “You manage to do ev- colorful placards calling women from 10 countries
rights have become one a metal barrier wall intend- erything: both at work and for an end to discrimina- for their courage.
of the hot topics in the run- ed to keep out women — at home and at the same tive practices such as the The recipients of the Inter-
up to a general election other than prostitutes. time you remain beautiful, termination of employment national Women of Cour-
next month, many female A half-dozen women be- charismatic, charming, the for pregnancy and exploit- age Award included hu-
employees didn’t show up longing to the Femen ac- center of gravity for the ative work contracts. man rights activists, police
to work Friday. Others also tivist group had the slogan whole family, uniting it with “Our action today is to officers and an investiga-
halted domestic work or left “No brothels for women” your love,” Putin said. urge (the government) for tive journalist. They came
to men the care of children written on their bare back In Turkey, four female our right to a society that’s from Bangladesh, Djibouti,
and ill or elderly people. in black lettering. members of Turkey’s gen- democratic, prosperous, Egypt, Ireland, Jordan,
In neighboring Portugal, Legally, all women are al- darmerie units found an equal and free from vio- Montenegro, Myanmar,
the Cabinet observed a lowed to enter the street, unusual way of marking lence,” said Dian Trisnanti, Peru, Sri Lanka and Tanza-
minute of silence Thursday but in reality most women the day: rappelling down a labor activist. Girls and nia.
as part of a day of national obey the signs saying, “En- from Istanbul’s 15 July Mar- women in Indonesia, the “Courage is what divides
mourning it decreed for try only for men 18+.” tyrs’ Bridge connecting the world’s fourth most popu- those who only talk about
victims of domestic vio- In France, the first Simone city’s European and Asian lous country, have equal change from those who
lence. Portuguese police Veil prize went Friday to a sides and into the waters of access to education but actually act to change,”
say 12 women have died Cameroonian activist who the iconic Bosporus. face higher unemploy- Mrs. Trump said at a cer-
this year in domestic vio- has worked against forced ____ ment, lower wages and emony Thursday that was
lence incidents — the high- marriages and other vio- ASIA poorer working conditions also attended by Secretary
est number over the same lence against girls and In India, hundreds of wom- than men. of State Mike Pompeo.
period in 10 years. women. Aissa Doumara en marched on the streets Both Koreas marked the Pompeo separately rec-
Pope Francis hailed the “ir- Ngatansou was married of New Delhi demanding day. In the South, women ognized women in Iran for
replaceable contribution against her will at age 15 an end to domestic vio- wearing black cloaks and protesting the requirement
of women” to fostering but insisted upon continu- lence, sexual attacks and pointed hats marched that they wear a head cov-
peace. ing her studies as a young discrimination in jobs. against what they describe ering known as a hijab in
“Women make the world wife. She has since turned Boys are prized more than as a “witch hunt” of femi- public and a Ukrainian ac-
beautiful, they protect it her attention to victims of girls in India. Thousands of nists in a deeply conserva- tivist who died in 2018 after
and keep it alive,” the Ar- Boko Haram extremists. Indian women are killed tive society. she was attacked with sul-
gentine Jesuit said. The French award is named — often doused in gaso- College student Noh Seo- furic acid.q