• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Isles of the Left

For socially just, egalitarian and greener Malta

Menu
  • Home
  • Manifesto
  • About
    • WHO WE ARE
    • CONTACT US
  • Magazine
    • LONG READ
    • CULTUREEverything you like to know about culture
    • ECONOMY
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • SOCIETY & POLITICS
    • EDUcation & OPPortunity
    • SEXUALITY & GENDER
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • HUMOUR
    • POETRYPoetry and essays
    • VOICES
  • Reading Lists
  • Podcasts
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

8th March – Jum il-Mara – Semma’ Leħnek! Women’s Day - Raise your voice!

March 3, 2018 · Moviment Graffitti ·

We call onto all women, LGBTQI persons and all individuals who feel the need to fight gender inequality to unify on 8th March and raise their voices: Stop Gender-Based Violence!

by Moviment Graffitti

 

Another 8th of March is soon with us and we felt the urge to unite our voices against all the daily forms of oppression faced by women. Sexism, misogyny and sexualised violence are found everywhere, everyday, in Malta and around the world.

Violence against women is not decreasing in numbers and usually involves family or (ex)partners, not just a few delinquent individuals. In Europe, 1 in 3 women experience physical and/or sexual violence by a current or previous partner. A Europe-wide survey by FRA (2014) found that 15% of women aged 15+ in Malta have experienced this kind of violence. In recent years, we have also witnessed cases of women murdered by partners, such as the shocking story of 33-year-old Eleanor Mangion Walker, found dead in Qormi in July 2016.

The recent #metoo movement made visible countless experiences of sexual violence and gender-based oppression. We positively note current efforts to strengthen Maltese legislation protecting victims of gender-based violence, and the valuable work being done by organisations and institutions that offer support to women who experience abuse.  However, gender-based violence is deep-rooted, inseparable from the reality of structural gender inequality that manifests itself in social attitudes, gender roles and dominant discourses. There is an underlying system that works through all of us, our institutions and our cultures. There is an interconnection between the culture of gendering children‘s toys and activities, sexualised advertisements of any sort, sexist comments in the street and social media, rape and other forms of gender-based violence.

Thus, we find ourselves unable to “celebrate” International Women’s Day. Rather, we see the necessity to raise our voices, keep the fight going and build new solidarity networks with all women, individuals and organizations that refuse to tolerate the fact that some husbands, partners, brothers and fathers still abuse women.

We are also aware of the difficulties that women in Malta face as mothers and workers. In a market where rent and property prices have spiralled out of control, compounded by low wages and the increasing cost of living, people like single mothers and women with abusive partners are finding it harder to build an independent living. Specific difficulties are also experienced by Trans women, facing transphobia and financial burdens, as well as by migrant women, often living precarious lives due to temporary documentation and, at times, a hostile social environment.

On the 8th of March, countless women around the world will be in the street with a common call against violence: women in the US are joining their voices for women’s rights and against Trump’s sexism; women from South and Central America will strike against femicide (killing of women) with the demand Ni una menos! – Not one less!; women all around Europe will be demonstrating in favour of a life free from sexism, violence and oppression.

We have to do something now if we wish that the younger generations grow up in a better Malta, where any form of gender-based abuse will no longer form part of our lives. Everyone can do something. Let’s start by not tolerating sexism in our daily life.

We call onto all women, LGBTQI persons and all individuals who feel the need to fight gender inequality to unify on 8th March and raise their voices: Stop Violence Against Women Now! Stop Gender-Based Violence!

Thursday 8th March, 17:30 City Gate Valletta – International Women’s Day March

Jum il-Mara – Semma’ Leħnek! Raise your Voice!

 

Read More!

Tagged With: democracy, gender equality, International Women's Day

The IotL Magazine

stands for a socially just, egalitarian and greener Malta.

View all posts

While we have you...

...We have a high opinion of our readers and thus post no clickbait. If you like what you read here, kindly help us to protect our content from the bias of social media filters. Not to miss any of our posts, hover over the button "Following" on our Facebook page and check "See first", "Notifications - All On". That way we will always feature on your timeline.

Thank you!

Primary Sidebar

    POPULAR ARTICLES

  • Promise & Betrayal: A Former American University of Malta Lecturer Speaks Out
    May 31, 2018
    By Former lecturer at AUM
    We were given time-consuming tasks to complete over the holidays, including the organization of Spring’s student orientation. Little did we...
  • Ħamalli And Non-Ħamalli: A Tale Of Two Public Spheres
    December 12, 2017
    By Bernard Cauchi | 2 Comments
    Why we dismiss experiences of people whose tastes and behavior do not fit the accepted norms. (more…)
  • Parenting Dilemmas: State or Private Schools?
    May 30, 2018
    By Rita M. | 11 Comments
    Here, for the record, I will spell out what nobody in this country seems even remotely willing to mention: how...
  • What Does it Mean to Be a Foreigner in Malta?
    April 12, 2018
    By Raisa Galea | 5 Comments
    Although they are uniformly referred to as “foreigners”, foreign nationals receive contrasting treatment, depending on their social status and nationality....
  • The Not-So-Maltese Cross
    January 17, 2018
    By Michael Grech | 2 Comments
    How the emblem of debauched foreign aristocracy became the ultimate symbol of Maltese identity. (more…)
My Tweets

 Essential  Read:           

Racist Rants, ‘Authentic Emotions’ and Fake News

Kathrin Schödel

 Get Our Top Stories
 Right in Your Inbox 
 

 Our  Friends: 

Footer

WE ARE:

-.. . -.. .. -.-. .- – . -.. / .- -. -.. / . -. – …. ..- … .. .- … – .. -.-.

Raisa
Galea
Michael
Grech
Kurt
Borg
Francois
Zammit
Rachael
Scicluna
Josephine
Burden
Daiva
Repečkaitė
Joseph
Abela
Martin
Galea
Abigail
Muscat
Bernard
Cauchi
Alicia
Said
Maria
Theuma

WE FOLLOW:

WE DISCUSS:

ħamalli culture financial services history alternatives worker's rights care economy European Parliament Elections 2019 geopolitics collective organising Chiswick House School small-scale fisheries reproductive rights Sudan global economy safety housing transfeminism crisis far-right disarmament nationality Daphne Caruana Galizia technopolitics compassion

For a socially just, egalitarian and greener Malta © 2023 · Log in

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.