Joanne Oakley
Words by Joanne Oakley, Olive Press reporter
“THE fight continues in 2020 for a just and fair society where, as females, all we want is to be seen and treated as equals.
“We should not have to shout that bit louder than our male counterparts to be heard; not have to confront employers, colleagues, strangers on the street whenever we are overlooked, devalued or cat-called; and not have to live in fear of getting a little bit drunk, wearing the wrong clothes or walking home at night because we may ‘tempt’ someone to take advantage, harass us or even worse.
“In Spain, it may seem that we are a far cry from the violence and inequality experienced by women further afield. But there is still a culture of gender violence which is seen far too regularly in the news, with women dying at the hands of their partners.
“When this is the case, here and across the world, with people still out there who want to suppress women in any environment, International Women’s Day is an essential collective response. It shows that as women we are all still fighting for ourselves and each other and that we are not asking for the world or even that much.
“All we ask is for EQUALITY.”
