By Tilbe Akan

On March 8, International Working Women’s Day, thousands of women and LGBTI+ people around the world took to the streets to protest the inequalities, sexism, and violence perpetuated by the capitalist patriarchal system. From Europe to Latin America, Asia to Africa, and North America, women and LGBTI+ individuals demonstrated against labor exploitation, poverty, femicides, and oppressive policies.

In Istanbul, despite government bans, crowds gathered and chanted, “We are not silent, we are not afraid, we do not obey,” continuing their resistance. Despite police detentions and interventions, women and LGBTI+ people filled the squares, standing against the pressures imposed by the institution of the family and heterosexist policies. In Turkey, despite the government’s declaration of 2025 as the “Year of the Family” and its anti-LGBTI+ policies, the streets echoed with the voices of women and LGBTI+ resistance.

In Europe, demands for equal pay, secure working conditions, and an end to gender-based violence took center stage. In the U.S., protests targeted the anti-women and anti-LGBTI+ policies that have intensified since Trump came to power. Attacks on abortion rights and restricted access to healthcare were key themes in the demonstrations led by women and LGBTI+ individuals.

In Argentina, feminists took to the streets against the neoliberal and far-right policies of the Milei government. These policies, which target women’s and LGBTI+ rights, underscore the need for the feminist movement to organize from an anti-capitalist and class-based perspective. Argentine women stood in solidarity with Palestinian women, condemning the genocide in Gaza and taking an internationalist stance against imperialism and Zionism.

In various countries all around the world, women raised their voices against workplace harassment, gender-based pay gaps, femicides and child marriages. These struggles highlighted how the capitalist system exploits women’s labor while simultaneously reinforcing patriarchal norms.

March 8 is a day of struggle against capitalism and patriarchy. At a time when far-right and authoritarian regimes are rising to power or gaining strength in many countries, attacking all the gains made by women and LGBTI+ people, the fight for women’s and LGBTI+ rights continues to rise as an anti-capitalist, anti-patriarchal, and anti-imperialist struggle for true equality and freedom.

Actions around the world:

France NPA (R) column

Paraguay

Brazil

Colombia

Costa Rica

Istanbul

Italy