Earlier today, women, non-binary, trans people and allies alike marched through Valletta on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Supported by several organisations and activist groups, they highlighted the importance of fighting for all women, locally and worldwide.
This year’s theme “Every Woman, Every Day, Everywhere” emphasises that women in all situations are still struggling for their rights, and we must join forces, especially in the current political climate. In Malta, women lack reproductive justice and many cannot fairly choose whether to have or not have children. Our poor minimum wage, shoddy work-life balance, lack of parental leave, criminalized abortion, inaccessible contraception, an unhealthy environment – these are all factors that affect the decision to become a parent.
The protesters emphasised the need for a system that believes and supports women and does not restrict their autonomy. Women suffering from endometriosis are too often ignored and left in pain, while those seeking an abortion must travel abroad or risk legal repercussions. This disproportionately affects marginalised women – teenagers, poor women and migrant women are amongst those most affected.
Amongst the many placards in the march, many referenced the institutionalised violence and sexism that women and girls experience daily. The women marched also in remembrance of those that paved the way before them, and of the women that couldn’t be here today because of our unjust courts and police that consistently fail women. These issues are not isolated; they are interconnected, creating a system of oppression that must be dismantled through collective action and systemic change. This march is an urgent call to action to create a society that genuinely upholds women’s rights.
In her speech following the march, Liza Caruana-Finkel on behalf of Moviment Graffitti emphasised the lack of control that women have over their bodies, talking candidly about women forced to return to work immediately after having children and how pharmacists’ personal beliefs on the morning-after-pill take precedence over their duty of care. She noted that abortion is only accessible for those who can afford to travel or order pills, and even here they lack emotional, social and medical support while also facing legal risks. Caruana-Finkel continued that reproductive justice encompasses a multitude of struggles, and we also need comprehensive sexual education, STI prevention and treatment, better prenatal care, accessible housing, decent wages and much more.
The marchers stood united in the fight for collective liberation, gender justice, and a society that truly upholds the rights of all women. They made it clear that the struggle does not end with this march – it continues in our communities, workplaces, homes, and institutions. Only when we truly address these issues can we start inching towards a just society – for every woman, every day, everywhere.
List of performers: Choir Re-Sisters
Poems by Kat Cassar, Klara Vassallo, and Rachelle Deguara
Collective Dance by Fran Cassar
This year’s Women’s Day march is endorsed by the following organisations:
Academics for Choice
aditus
Allied Rainbow Communities (ARC)
Dance Beyond Borders
Department of Gender & Sexualities
Doctors for Choice
Humanists Malta
IVY – Interrupting Violence towards Youth
Lawyers for Choice
Malta LGBTIQ+ Rights Movement (MGRM)
Malta Women’s Lobby
Men Against Violence
Moviment Graffitti
Parents for Choice
Women for Women
Women’s Rights Foundation
Young Progressive Beings
Żminijietna – Voice of the Left
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Kull Mara, Kuljum, Kullimkien
Iktar kmieni llum, nisa, persuni non-binary, trans u oħrajn li jappoġġjawhom, immarċjaw fit-toroq tal-Belt fl-okkażjoni tal-Jum Internazzjonali tal-Mara. Bl-appoġġ ta’ diversi organizzazzjonijiet u gruppi attivisti, huma sostnew l-importanza li jibqgħu jissieltu għal kull mara kemm lokalment kif ukoll kullimkien madwar id-dinja.
It-tema ta’ din is-sena, Kull Mara, Kuljum, Kullimkien, tenfasizza li n-nisa f’kull sitwazzjoni għadhom qegħdin jiġġieldu għad-drittijiet tagħhom, u li jridu jingħaqdu flimkien, speċjalment fil-klima politika ta’ żmienna. F’Malta, in-nisa m’għandhomx ġustizzja riproduttiva and ħafna ma jistgħux fil-fatt jagħżlu jekk iridux li jkollhom it-tfal jew le. Il-paga minima tagħna, il-bilanċ bejn xogħol u l-ħajja privata diffiċli biex issibu, in-nuqqas ta’ leave effettiv għall-ġenituri, l-abort li huwa illegali, kontraċettivi inaċċessibbli, l-ambjent diżastru – dawn huma kollha fatturi li jaffettwaw id-deċiżjoni ta’ persuni biex isiru ġenituri.
Dawk li ħarġu jimmarċjaw saħqu fuq il-ħtieġa ta’ sistema li tappoġġja lin-nisa u temmen fihom u ma tillimitax l-awtonomija tagħhom. Nisa li jbagħtu bl-endometriosi ħafna drabi jiġu injorati u mħollija jsofru l-uġigħ, filwaqt li dawk li jridu jagħmlu abort ikollhom imorru barra minn Malta jew ibagħtu l-konsegwenzi legali. Dawn is-sitwazzjonijiet jaffettwaw l-iktar lil nisa li huma marġinalizzati – tfajliet żgħar, nisa fqar u immigranti huma fost dawk l-iktar affettwati.
Fost il-ħafna kartelluni waqt il-marċ, kien hemm ħafna li rreferew għall-vjolenza u s-sessiżmu istituzzjonalizzati li n-nisa u l-bniet jgħaddu minnhom ta’ kuljum. In-nisa mmarċjaw ukoll biex ifakkru lil dawk in-nisa li ġġieldu qabilhom u firxulhom it-triq għall-attiviżmu, u lil dawk li ma setgħux ikunu magħhom illum minħabba l-qrati tal-inġustizzja u l-pulizija b’mod konsistenti jonqsu milli jħarsu lin-nisa. Dawn l-affarijiet mhumiex iżolati; huma marbutin ma’ xulxin, u flimkien joħolqu sistema ta’ oppressjoni li jeħtieġ tiżżarma permezz ta’ azzjoni kollettiva and bidla sistematika. Dan il-marċ huwa sejħa urġenti għall-azzjoni biex tinħoloq soċjetà li verament tħares id-drittijiet tan-nisa.
Fid-diskors tagħha wara l-marċ, Liza Caruana-Finkel f’isem il-Moviment Graffitti saħqet fuq in-nuqqas ta’ kontroll li n-nisa għandhom fuq ġisimhom u tkellmet b’mod onest dwar dawk in-nisa li ma jkollhomx għażla ħlief li jmorru lura x-xogħol ftit wara li jkollhom tarbija u dwar kif it-twemmin personali ta’ ċerti spiżjara dwar il-morning after pill jieħu preċedenza fuq id-dmir tagħhom li jaqdu lil min ikollu bżonn. Hija qalet li l-abort huwa aċċessibbli biss għal dawk li għandhom il-mezzi biex jivjaġġaw jew jordnaw il-pilloli. Imma anki hawn ma jkollhomx l-appoġġ emozzjonali, soċjali u mediku meħtieġ apparti li jkunu qegħdin jieħdu riskji legali. Caruana-Finkel kompliet tgħid li l-ġustizzja riproduttiva tkopri fiha diversi ġlidiet. Jeħtieġ li jkollna sistema komprensiva ta’ edukazzjoni sesswali, prevenzjoni u trattament għall-infezzjonijiet trażmessi sesswalment (STIs), kura aħjar ta’ qabel it-twelid, aċċess għal djar fejn ngħixu, pagi diċenti u ħafna iktar.
L-attivisti ingħaqdu flimkien fil-ġlieda għal-liberazzjoni kollettiva, ġustizzja abbażi tal-ġeneru, u soċjetà li verament tħares u tirrispetta d-drittijiet ta’ kull mara. Huma għamluha ċara li l-ġlieda ma kinitx se tieqaf b’dan il-marċ – imma tkompli fil-komunitajiet, fuq il-postijiet tax-xogħol, fid-djar, u fl-istituzzjonijiet tagħna. Huwa biss meta dawn il-kwistjonijiet jiġu indirizzati bis-serjetà li nistgħu nibdew noqorbu lejn soċjetà ġusta – għal kull mara, kuljum, kullimkien.
Lista ta’ qarrejja, artisti, żeffiena: Il-Kor Re-Sisters
Poeżiji ta’ Kat Cassar, Klara Vassallo, u Rachelle Deguara
Żifna Kollettiva minn Fran Cassar
Il-marċ ta’ jum il-mara ta’ din is-sena ġie appoġġjat minn dawn l-organizzazzjonijiet:
aditus
Allied Rainbow Communities (ARC)
Dance Beyond Borders
Department of Gender & Sexualities
Doctors for Choice
Humanists Malta
IVY – Interrupting Violence towards Youth
Lawyers for Choice
Malta LGBTIQ+ Rights Movement (MGRM)
Malta Women’s Lobby
Men Against Violence
Moviment Graffitti
Parents for Choice
Women for Women
Women’s Rights Foundation
Young Progressive Beings
Żminijietna – Voice of the Left
