Tomorrow Saturday, 8th March is International Women’s Day. It will be marked by demonstrations and other events across the globe and across Ireland. People Before Profit will join the ROSA demonstrations tomorrow in Cork, Limerick and at City Hall, Dublin 2 at 1pm. Gender-based violence survivor, Natasha O’Brien will be among the speakers at the ROSA event in Dublin.
People Before Profit Councillor De Nortúin said “International Women’s Day is an important event each year to mark the achievements of the feminist movement over many decades, and also to continue the fight for equality and justice and against the misogyny that remains prevalent, and is even growing again in society.
This year there will be a focus on the epidemic of gender based violence in our society. 52 per cent of women have experienced sexual violence in childhood or adulthood and 35 per cent of women, have experienced psychological, physical and/or sexual abuse from an intimate partner. Seven women have been killed already in 2025 and there were 1,600 reports of domestic violence over Christmas week. Only 5 per cent of those who experience sexual violence as an adult reported it to Gardaí, of these it is estimated that just 14 per cent make it to trial. This is the shocking reality of the society women have to try and survive in. International Women’s Day events will hear calls for urgent action to respond to this.
There will be demonstrations across the state, including a ROSA demonstration at City Hall, Dublin 2 for 1pm tomorrow. The demonstrators will also demand that the government act urgently to provide affordable housing for all, including for adequate refuge spaces for victims of gender-based violence. The lack of affordable housing and refuge spaces is a huge problem, forcing many women to remain living with their abusers. This has to be addressed without delay and I urge people to turn out in their thousands tomorrow to put pressure on the government to act.
This year we will also stand with Palestine. Genuine feminists will mark International Women’s Day by calling out Israel’s apartheid and genocide and the slaughter and suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza”.
People Before Profit will join the ROSA demonstration at City Hall, Dublin 2 at 1pm tomorrow, Saturday. We call for:
- A refuge in every county and a minimum of 675 refuge places in local communities
- Full state funding for refuges, support services and counselling for survivors
- Consent training in schools and colleges free from gender bias and stereotyping, and LGBTQI inclusive
- Sex and relationship education which tackles toxic masculinity
- End the injustice of the justice system - no more re-traumatisation through the courts
- Full support services for migrant and refugees who are victims of gender-based violence
- Turn off sexist algorithms: stop the social media companies from pushing misogynistic content at young men