Xàbia marks International Women’s Day with strong manifesto

Tuesday 8th March 2022 – Mike Smith
Source: original article – Álvaro Monfort (Xàbia AL DÍA)

Xàbia has once again defended equal opportunities and rights for women within the framework of the celebrations marking the International Women’s Day. The popular meet and reading of the manifesto by the Department of Equality is the main act of this commemoration programme that this year includes sports, culture and education throughout the month.

With an eye on the war that is taking place in Ukraine and the massive refugee crisis of women and children fleeing the fighting in their country, councillor Montse Villaverde wanted to highlight the words of the journalist and defender of women’s rights, Gloria Steinem, that a feminist person “is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men,” an apparently obvious position, which does not always correspond to reality.

For this reason, the councillor highlighted the need to abolish all those behaviours, activities and discussions rooted in everyday life that diminish and detract from the value that, in itself, is inherent to women.

Villaverde was supported by practically the entire municipal corporation and dozens of residents who have came along to the church square. The act also had a performance that, through the most avant-garde poetry, interpretation and dance, reflected feelings and sensations that women experience daily, in silence, without the understanding and tolerance they deserve, but sending a message of encouragement, strength and overcoming.

MANIFESTO MARCH 8, 2022, XÀBIA COUNCIL

Today, March 8, 2022, 112 years after the Copenhagen conference, we continue to take to the streets to demand justice and rights for us women. Today, women around the world are raising their voices to assert their rights and fight all forms of sex discrimination.

Feminism is the tool to end all the violence that creates the inequalities that women suffer, why feminists have been present in the struggle for equality for centuries, why they are present today, why they will be tomorrow.

Today is International Women’s Day, we take to the streets as a sign of our rights, but without forgetting that it is a day to vindicate. That is why we want to DEMAND:

• The abolition of prostitution and pornography as forms of gender-based violence, incompatible with the principle of gender equality.
  
• Decent, stable and safe jobs for women. End the wage gap, the feminization of poverty, precariousness or domestic abuse.
  
• Quality public services for the social co-responsibility of care.
  
• The effective ban on the reproductive exploitation of women and the buying and selling of babies.
  
• Eradicate sexual violence against women and girls.
  
• Guaranteeing women’s sexual and reproductive rights includes the right to free and safe abortion.
  
• Co-education to achieve real and effective equality between women and men.
  
• The end of femicide and all forms of gender-based violence.

Xàbia Council are aware of the long road that remains to be travelled until full equality. We are also aware that if we normalize violence against women we are losing the opportunity to live in a more just, free and democratic society.

For this reason, today, we once again publicly show our commitment to equality and to public policies to make it a reality. And we declare ourselves feminists, because, as Gloria Steinem said, a feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of men and women.