Various trade unions, political parties, feminist collectives and women’s organizations are participating in the march. This also applies to the March 8 collective, co-organizer of the National March for Women’s Rights. The march is the culmination of a national day of action and strike in the context of the International Day for Women’s Rights, annually on March 8. From 7 a.m. on Friday morning, actions and strike pickets were organized across the country.
The participants in the march fear a slippery slope towards the restriction of women’s rights in the future. This fear is mainly due to the global rise of the extreme right. “Around the world, right-wing and far-right forces are advancing, which strongly endangers the rights of women and LGBTQIA+ groups,” said collective March 8. “With this in mind, we must be incredibly vigilant and defend more than ever a society where there is equality, which stands in solidarity with those who are less fortunate and where everyone is welcome.”
A lot can also be done at federal and regional level to guarantee and accelerate women’s rights. One of the official demands of the March 8 collective is a reinvestment in daycare centers and public services at a regional level. For example, the supervisor-child ratio must be reduced and additional resources in public services must ensure that employees, mainly women, receive better wages. (Read more below the photo)
© BELGIUM
In addition, there is still a yawning wage gap in Belgium today, accounting for a difference of 21 percent between male and female salaries. Women from undervalued sectors should also receive a pay increase, it is thought. That is why people are also calling for an increase in the minimum wage to 17 euros.
“It is still necessary to organize a march, because there is still no real equality. Women still do most of the housework, but they don’t get a single euro in return,” said Green co-chair Nadia Naji (Green). Naji believes that the Flemish government must urgently work on decent childcare and a good healthcare system. “Today, women are absorbing the failure of the Flemish government.” Women from disadvantaged sectors in particular are at risk of losing out. “Cleaning assistants and women from the healthcare sectors provide work that we really count on, but do not appreciate enough. It is time to reward the work they do.” Naji also wants to make gender parity a spearhead within the core of the federal government. “Petra de Sutter is the only female deputy prime minister in the government. As far as we are concerned, we will work on gender parity within the federal government in the next government, as well as on a female prime minister.” (Read more below the photo)
© REUTERS
Sofie Merckx, PVDA faction leader in the House, believes that women and men are not equal to each other to this day. “PVDA is here today to fight for investing in childcare and public services. “There is still a lot to be done to combat violence against women and we are also here to defend the right to abortion.”
“This day becomes a little more important every year,” believes Kim Collyns, chairwoman of the women’s bureau of the ABVV union. “The list of inequalities is getting longer and longer. There are also elections coming up, so it is very important that people vote for left-wing and progressive parties, otherwise women’s rights are in danger of being eroded.”
The ACV, also present at the march, also states that many steps forward can still be taken. “A lot has already happened. We have the right to vote, we can go to work and there is more and more right to self-determination. However, there are still many inequalities in the labor market, in particular the balance between work, care and private life is missing,” said the Christian Democratic union.
© EPA-EFE
© EPA-EFE