Skopje marked its eighth women’s rights march on Wednesday, organized by the Gender Equality Platform, advocating for the theme “Red line: Women’s rights not up for debate!” to commemorate International Women’s Day. The march featured eight symbolic red lines, each representing crucial demands and guidelines for societal progress:

Ensuring unlimited access to safe and legal medical abortion in every municipality.
Advocating for equal pay for equal work and wages, irrespective of gender.
Urging institutions responsible for preventing and protecting women from gender-based violence to act diligently.
Calling for a transformation in the employment status of female cultural workers facing uncertainty.
Demanding a 50 percent representation of women in positions of power.
Seeking systemic solutions for access to paid maternity leave and sick leave for women farmers.
Taking action for women workers and ensuring proper care for their children.
Fostering a united effort against bribery and corruption.
Organizers stressed that these red lines not only articulate demands but also serve as guidelines for implementing measures conducive to societal progress. Ana Avramovska Nushkova from the National Network to End Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, a participant in the march, emphasized the need for a society that acknowledges and addresses violence, striving for zero cases of sexual assault and advocating for appropriate sanctions against perpetrators.

Tanja Ivanova from Reactor – Research in Action emphasized that women’s rights are intrinsic to human rights. She underscored the ongoing fight for equality and the necessity for collaborative efforts from the civil sector, institutions, and the people they represent to work towards social transformation, ensuring equal enjoyment of every right within society.

International Women’s Day, observed annually on March 8, serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for women’s economic, political, and social equality.