The demand for women’s rights, equal pay, labor equity, eradication of gender violence and femicides, voluntary maternity and shared responsibility at home, are some of the slogans that will be shouted at the mobilizations that will take place in Quito on Tuesday, March 8, in commemoration of the International Women’s Day.
Feminist and missing persons groups will carry out three marches for this day, which will leave in the afternoon from El Arbolito Park and the Caja del Seguro Social, in the north, towards the historic center.
Professional development of women is high in Ecuador, but they continue to earn less compared to men
The first concentration will start at 15:00 in El Arbolito park, located next to the House of Ecuadorian Culture (CCE), between 12 de Octubre, Tarqui and 6 de Diciembre avenues. This call is organized by the Association of Relatives and Friends of Disappeared Persons in Ecuador (Asfadec), the Committee to Fight Violence, Disappearances and Femicides (Covidefem) and Luna Roja.
Lidia Rueda, president of Asfadec, points out that they will claim the State for effective actions for the recovery of missing persons, most of whom are women. Based on figures from the Ministry of Government, Rueda points out that in January of this year alone there were approximately 600 reports of disappearances, of which 62% are women. Of these, 64% are children and adolescents, 31% adults and 5% are older adults.
“Despite the fact that we already have a law, that it is a crime to disappear, this problem is not diminishing, but rather it is much more every day…”, laments Rueda and mentions that there is also no progress in the application of the Law to prevent and eradicate the violence against women, since the necessary resources are not allocated.
The second gear scheduled for Women’s Day will start at 5:00 p.m., in El Arbolito park and is prepared by Braiding Feminisms organization and more feminist groups. The motto of the mobilization will be “now that we are together”, explains Sinchi Gomez, group spokesperson.
“The feminist and women’s movement is more united, firmer regarding the demands that we have, just after the context that we are going through due to the Law of Legal Interruption of Pregnancy in case of Rape”, she points out.
This concentration will be divided into eight blocks: torches and incense burners; drums and music; women workers, in memory of femicides, migrants, university front; abortion and dissent; menstrual health; disabilities, mothers with children, elderly women; mixed (space for men who want to join the cause).
The third mobilization was also summoned for 17:00, but on the outside of the box of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS), located on Avenida 10 de Agosto and Bogotá. Behind this event is Mujeres por el Cambio and it will include the participation of teachers, small business owners, students, and feminist organizations such as Surkuna,
Cristina Cachaguay, president of Women for Change, expresses that they will walk to the Plaza de la Independencia. “We hope to reach the presidency to make various demands and that we see that the current government has failed to meet. One of them is to prevent and eradicate gender violence. The previous year closed with 191 women killed by femicide acts, despite having a law to prevent and eradicate violence. However, if the law does not have an adequate budget, it is not really fulfilling the function that it should”, comments Cachaguay.
Guillermo Lasso announces that he will veto abortion bill for rape
Another important issue to be addressed on March 8 will be the I veto the law that regulates abortion in case of rape. President William Lasso has anticipated that its position is to respect life from conception, so will veto the rule.
Mayra Tirira, a lawyer for Surkuna, points out that the tour aims to make visible the “commitment that the president must have, guaranteeing that the most vulnerable women and girls can access directly to their right to health, to an abortion without any restrictions.”
For the people who wish to join any of the scheduled marches for the first time, the promoting groups recommend attending with comfortable clothes, carrying posters -if they wish-, telling friends or relatives that they will go to the mobilization, staying close to groups. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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