Thousands rally for women’s rights in Lisbon

Almost 60 years separate Matilda and Otilia, but the pursuit of greater equality does not choose age, and several thousand more joined them this Saturday in a demonstration organized in Lisbon by the Women’s Democratic Movement (MDM).

March 8th has already passed, but what it represents remains throughout the year because there is “A Thousand Reasons to Fight” as was the motto chosen for the National Women’s Manifestation, an initiative that the MDM has been organizing for seven years. to show the “strength and unity of women in defending and winning their rights”.

Women (and men too) from different latitudes and geographic regions held banners and banners, played bass drums and shouted slogans for peace and bread, against the rising cost of living, for decent wages, for health care and school. “Woman, listen, it’s time to fight,” a megaphone rang out between the Restauradores and the Municipality squares.

Joining the demonstration surprised the organization, Sandra Benfica admitted.

In a conversation with Lusa, the MDM leader emphasized that “March 8 is not a symbolic date, (…), and it is not a commercial or market date, as many want to try to do, it is a date that continues to be associated with something very fundamental (…): the struggle of women for decent living and working conditions in modern society”.

Before arriving at the final zone of the parade, the demonstration was greeted with applause by the general secretary of the PKP and the general secretary of the VKTP.

Paulo Raimundo spoke to journalists about women’s “problems”: greater unemployment and insecurity, lower wages, the greater impact of rising living costs and access to public services.

“Solidarity” with the protesters, whom he praised for “their determination”, the PKP Secretary General stressed that a “totally free and democratic” society depends on the equal rights of women and men.

Joining the demonstration gives him “security in the future” in the sense that people will “take on problems.”

Recognizing that “women are in short supply in all walks of life”, including in political parties, Paulo Raimundo has singled out the rising cost of living and wage and labor discrimination as the main threats to equality.

A few meters ahead, CGTP general secretary Isabelle Camarinha acknowledged that “women workers have many reasons to fight”, emphasizing that “in order to have equality at work, there must be a general increase in wages, an end to insecurity, to guarantee rights” .