Galician feminism filled the streets of Lugo this March 3 in a protest organized by the platfom Galician Women M8. The demonstration left Porta Falsa and walked through differents streets both inside and outside of the famous Roman city wall, until arriving the Horta do Seminario Square around 14:00h, where the writer María Reimóndez and the former Galician political prisoner, María Osorio, gave a speech.

A bit of history
María Reimóndez began talking about March of 1918 when the women of Neda, Xúbia and Narom had the leading role in what was popularly known as “Revolta das pedradas” (“Stones Riot”). They demanded bread, land, and a dignified life under the slogan “We are hungry! Down with the hoarders!” and for two days, whith the women always at the helm, demonstrators made several mobilizations during which they even assaulted trains or threw stones at the businesses of hoarders and speculators . “Today we take their legacy, their struggle against tyranny wich is also ours, an we vindicate our rebellion as their offspring, with the determination to keep the revolution women started against patriarchy, capitalism, racism and all forms of exploration. And on this March 8, thousands of women all around the world will support the labour, student, consumer and care strike”, the writer said.

Feminist sorority
It was then the turn for Maria Osório. She said “racism and colonialism are still very present in every aspect of our society, subordinating the non-white bodies and identities, exploiting us and making second-class citizens of us. Because women in a situation of impoverishment and exclusion resist the onslaught of non-existent or nefarious social policies, with instruments that deepen social control, stigmatize poverty and blame us for a structural problem: putting lives and the satisfaction of needs at the service of market interests.”

It was specially thrilling when she adressed gypsy women “because we want to make visible and legitimize the identity, gender and sexual diversity of the gypsy culture; for this, a strategic change that empowers Roma women is necessary.

Batuko Tabanka and the Feminist Theater Group of Lugo closed the event with their performances.

Plenty of reasons
This March 8, millions of women all over the world will support an international labour, student, consumer and care strike. “We are on the street to denounce the discrimination and male chauvinism we endure, promoting in Galicia a new day of struggle so people on power understand that we are fed up with inequality and the aggressions we suffer,” said Margarita Corral, responsible for the women’s secretary of CIG [main Galician union], during the demonstration of Lugo for the digital newspaper Avantar, and added “for us today is a day of denunciation, fight and revolutionary struggle. People on power must listen to our demands, because we are more than half of this society and we will not allow any regression when we still have so many rights to conquer “

The numbers of horror
From 2010 to 2019 more than 1,000 women were mudered in the Spanish State by men, according to feminicidio.net website, which has recorded since that year all the murders of women classified by different types: intimate, unofficial intimate, feminicide of relatives,…

It is estimated that more than 200 children were orphaned by sexist violence since 2013 in the Spanish state, according to the report by the Fundación Mujeres and the Soledad Cazorla Fiscal Scholarship Fund in May of last year, which was later analyzed by the Spanish Senate.

Among other things, this report manifested the situation in which these minors were left: in addition to the psychological problems facing the trauma of losing a mother in those circumstances they were left in a situation of helplessness. In line with this, in February of this year the Congress of Deputies approved a rise in the pensions of orphan children for sexist violence to 600 € (they received 140 € per month until now).