'Our role is central': more than 1m Chilean women to march in huge protest
In Chile, as in other
parts of Latin America, gender-based violence has reached epidemic proportions. The
Chilean Network Against
Violence Towards Women calculates that an average of 130,000 cases of
domestic violence are reported in Chile each year, making it one of the
country’s “most reported crimes”. Each day, 42 cases of sexual abuse are
reported to the police – only 25.7% of which result in judicial rulings. Last
year, 46
women were murdered by their partners.
More than a million women in Chile are preparing to join a massive protest this Sunday to mark International Women’s Day, in a march expected to reignite the wave of social unrest that began four months ago. Anger over rising metro fares erupted in October into a series of protests against inequality, social injustice and the high cost of living. Violent clashes between protesters and police have resulted in more than 30 dead, thousands injured and 445 with eye injuries caused by police weapons – leaving 34 people blinded.
More than a million women in Chile are preparing to join a massive protest this Sunday to mark International Women’s Day, in a march expected to reignite the wave of social unrest that began four months ago. Anger over rising metro fares erupted in October into a series of protests against inequality, social injustice and the high cost of living. Violent clashes between protesters and police have resulted in more than 30 dead, thousands injured and 445 with eye injuries caused by police weapons – leaving 34 people blinded.
After a summer lull,
Sunday’s march will be the first mass demonstration since New Year’s Eve. It is
expected to be the first of several protests in the run-up to a historic
referendum in April, when Chileans will vote on reforming
the country’s Pinochet-era constitution. “Social movements in Chile have always been
pushed by women.
Decades ago, during the dictatorship, women led the resistance – from organizing soup kitchens to fighting for human rights,” said Belén Calcagno, who is coordinating a group marching on Sunday in Concepción, a city in southern Chile. “Today our role continues to be central.” The slogan “Nunca más sin nosotras” – Never again without us women – is often heard at protests, as female activists demand that women’s call for justice and equity should be as important as those for social and economic reforms. Alondra Carrillo, spokesperson for the country’s largest feminist advocacy group, La Coordinadora Feminista 8M, said that as well as sharing the demands of the wider movement, Chile’s women are fighting for specific gender-related issues, such as legal abortion, an end to domestic violence, and for greater equality in the workplace.
Decades ago, during the dictatorship, women led the resistance – from organizing soup kitchens to fighting for human rights,” said Belén Calcagno, who is coordinating a group marching on Sunday in Concepción, a city in southern Chile. “Today our role continues to be central.” The slogan “Nunca más sin nosotras” – Never again without us women – is often heard at protests, as female activists demand that women’s call for justice and equity should be as important as those for social and economic reforms. Alondra Carrillo, spokesperson for the country’s largest feminist advocacy group, La Coordinadora Feminista 8M, said that as well as sharing the demands of the wider movement, Chile’s women are fighting for specific gender-related issues, such as legal abortion, an end to domestic violence, and for greater equality in the workplace.
“Women are permanently
subjected to various forms of patriarchal violence, which is an integral part
of the way in which Chile is organized,” she said. That idea is also
reflected in the anti-rape song by a Chilean feminist collective, which has
become an anthem for protesters around the world. First performed last November,
the song A
Rapist in Your Path depicts a world in which state oppression mirrors
sexual violence, and singles out police, judges and the president as accomplice
in the aggression.....
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/chile-womens-day-protest
