International Women's Day

This International Women’s Day on 8 March, our global social democratic movement, which is and has long been part of the historical struggle for women’s rights and equality, pays homage to all the women engaged in the political battles of our time, a striking example of which we are currently witnessing in Myanmar.

Since the coup, which our International condemned from the outset, there have been unprecedented protests across Myanmar, calling for the restoration of democracy. At the forefront of these protests have been Myanmar's women, in defiance of those who seek to suppress and intimidate them, limit their freedoms and reduce their role in society. The deadly violence used in response to these demonstrations by security forces against peaceful protesters is utterly disgraceful and reflects the brutality of the military regime which has illegitimately seized power. We now know that at least 54 people have been killed during the anti-coup demonstrations, many of them victim to the abhorrent use of live ammunition against unarmed civilians. The global social democratic movement mourns the deaths of these innocent people, noting with great sadness that these include women. Those responsible for these murders must be brought to justice and the international community must play its part in supporting the democratic aspirations of the people of Myanmar.

On this 110th anniversary of International Women’s Day, the origins of which were promoted from within our movement, the Socialist International strongly and proudly reaffirms its commitment to the struggle of women for equal rights and opportunities everywhere in the world.