MARCHES and strikes took place across the world today with more planned tomorrow as International Women’s Day saw global acts of resistance against women’s oppression.

Millions demonstrated across Latin America, with many taking part in an “international women’s strike” which will see many stay away from work and school today.

In Mexico multiple marches and strikes are taking place, highlighting a grim rise in femicide statistics. The government says that 3,825 women were killed in violent attacks last year, a 7 per cent rise on 2018 and double the figure from five years ago.

National Citizens Observatory of Femicide Co-ordinator Maria de la Luz Estrada said: “We don’t want simulation, we want action” in the face of a crisis that has made Mexico one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women. “We are going to strike out of indignation, but also as a memorial [to murdered women] and because we hope this can change,” she said.

In Chile the Communist Party and other left organisations have called for a particular focus on women injured by police violence during last autumn’s mass protests against Sebastian Pinera’s neoliberal government. Senators this week signed a Bill aimed at ensuring women play an equal role to men in drawing up the country’s new constitution, while Mr Pinera signed a law strengthening punishments for femicide. Some demonstrators estimated that a million people were marching in Santiago.

In Colombia women held protests against a Constitutional Court ruling upholding existing limits to abortion that restrict it to cases of foetal abnormalities, maternal health risks and pregnancy as a result of sexual assault.

In Europe, big demos took place across Spain and women marched in Paris against femicide and for an end to patriarchy. But in the Kyrgyzstan city of Bishkek, feminist demonstrators were arrested as masked security guards attacked their protest, tearing up placards.

Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Brinda Karat said this year’s International Women’s Day was especially important as India faced “a government hell-bent on the destruction of even minimum constitutional guarantees and rights and using the old tactic of divide and rule. We are fighting a monster.

“Today our slogan is unity. Today our slogan is resistance, and to always fight for women’s equality, women’s rights and women’s emancipation,” she declared.