On Friday, 8th March, women, non-binary, trans people, and allies will be gathering near the Tritons Fountain at 6pm to march through the streets of Valletta in observance of International Women’s Day. The march is being organised by Moviment Graffitti, Young Progressive Beings, and MGRM, and is endorsed by several other organisations that support gender equality and women’s rights.

This year, the theme ‘United for Collective Liberation’ has been chosen to emphasise that the feminist struggle must be shared by all, and cannot be borne only by those who are struggling. Our rights cannot be taken for granted and can be stripped away at any moment, especially with the rise of the far-right across the world.

Women’s Day serves as a reminder of the battles feminists have fought to achieve the rights we enjoy today. It is not a celebration, but a manifestation of the political and cultural struggle that women go through daily. The organisations emphasise that coming together for this annual march is crucial to confront the empty promises women hear every day.

In just the first fortnight of the year, a femicide had already been committed and last November marked a year since Bernice Cilia’s tragic femicide. Despite the empty words and political promises, no reform has been seen. All of Malta’s domestic violence cases are still being adjudicated by just two magistrates, leading to extensive backlogs.

Even though we were promised an abortion reform last summer, the government has turned its back on women in Malta. The situation today in Malta is that abortion is allowed only when a pregnant woman is at risk of dying and even then, it first requires the consensus of three different specialists. A woman who has an abortion in Malta could face up to three years in prison; just last year, a woman was prosecuted for having an abortion after being reported to the police by her abusive partner.

How many more women need to be killed before meaningful action is finally taken? How many more women and girls must suffer at the hands of our unjust society?

For Women’s Day, what women want is not flowers but collective liberation for all women; the eradication of gender stereotypes and inequity; an end to gender-based violence in all its forms, the freedom to walk alone in the streets and to feel safe, both outside and inside their homes; and an end to the occupations ravaging different parts of the world.

The organisations urge women and all those who want to see an end to sexism to join them this Friday, 8th March at 6pm, to stand in solidarity with all those who cannot, and to march in defiance of the patriarchal powers perpetuated by our society.

___________________________________

Flimkien għal-Liberazzjoni Kollettiva: Il-marċ ta’ Jum il-Mara 2024 se jsir ġewwa l-Belt Valletta

Nhar il-Ġimgħa, 8 ta’ Marzu, nisa, persuni mhux binarji, persuni trans, u alleati se jinġabru ħdejn il-Funtana tat-Tritoni fis-6pm biex jimxu fit-toroq tal-Belt Valletta b’osservanza tal-Jum Internazzjonali tal-Mara. Il-marċ huwa organizzat mill-Moviment Graffitti, Young Progressive Beings, u l-MGRM, u huwa approvat minn diversi organizzazzjonijiet oħra li jappoġġjaw l-ugwaljanza bejn is-sessi u d-drittijiet tan-nisa.

Din is-sena ntgħażlet it-tema ‘Magħqudin għall-Ħelsien Kollettiv’ biex tenfasizza li l-ġlieda femminista trid tinqasam minn kulħadd, mhux biss minn dawk milquta direttament. Id-drittijiet tagħna ma jistgħux jittieħdu bħala xi ħaġa ċerta u jistgħu jitneħħew fi kwalunkwe mument, speċjalment biż-żieda ta’ ideoloġiji tal-lemin estrem madwar id-dinja.

Jum il-Mara jservi bħala tfakkira tal-battalji li ġġieldu l-feministi biex jiżguraw id-drittijiet li ngawdu llum. Mhijiex sempliċiment ċelebrazzjoni imma manifestazzjoni tal-ġlieda politika u kulturali kontinwa li n-nisa jaffaċċjaw kuljum. L-organizzazzjonijiet jenfasizzaw li l-għaqda għal dan il-marċ annwali hija kruċjali biex nikkonfrontaw il-wegħdiet vojta li n-nisa jisimgħu kuljum.

Fl-ewwel ħmistax tas-sena biss, kien diġà seħħ femiċidju, u Novembru li għadda immarka sena mill-femiċidju traġiku ta’ Bernice Cilia. Minkejja bosta wegħdiet politiċi, ma ġiet implimentata l-ebda riforma sinifikanti. Il-każijiet kollha ta’ vjolenza domestika f’Malta għadhom iġġudikati minn żewġ maġistrati biss, u dan iwassal għal ammont sostanzjali ta’ każijiet b’lura.

Minkejja assigurazzjonijiet ta’ riforma tal-abort fis-sajf li għadda, il-gvern naqas milli jappoġġja lin-nisa ta’ Malta. Bħalissa, l-abort huwa permissibbli biss meta l-ħajja ta’ mara tqila tkun f’riskju, u anke hemm, jeħtieġ il-kunsens ta’ tliet speċjalisti differenti. Mara li tagħmel abort f’Malta tista’ taffaċċja sa tliet snin ħabs; proprju s-sena l-oħra, mara ġiet imressqa l-qorti wara li ġiet rappurtata lill-pulizija mis-sieħeb abbużiv tagħha.

Kemm hemm bżonn li jinqatlu aktar nisa qabel ma tittieħed azzjoni sinifikanti? Kemm aktar nisa u bniet iridu jbatu fis-soċjetà inġusta tagħna?

Għal Jum il-Mara, dak li jridu n-nisa mhumhiex fjuri iżda ħelsien kollettiv għan-nisa kollha; il-qerda tal-isterjotipi u l-inugwaljanzi tas-sessi; it-tmiem tal-vjolenza sessista fil-forom kollha tagħha, il-libertà li jimxu waħedhom fit-toroq u li jħossuhom siguri, kemm barra kif ukoll ġewwa djarhom; u t-tmiem tal-okkupazzjonijiet li qed jaħkmu partijiet differenti tad-dinja.

L-għaqdiet iħeġġu lin-nisa u lil dawk kollha li jridu jaraw it-tmiem tas-sessiżmu biex jingħaqdu magħhom il-Ġimgħa, 8 ta’ Marzu fis-6pm, biex jingħaqdu b’solidarjetà ma’ dawk kollha li ma jistgħux, u jimxu bi sfida għall-poteri patrijarkali perpetwati mis-soċjetà tagħna.