For the second consecutive year, the feminist movement has left an indelible mark on the vast majority of the world's capitals. If, last year, the imposing demonstrations and the transversal nature of the demands took some by surprise, this year the movement passed the test of not slipping backwards from its achievements of 2018.
In Catalonia, it was not only the 200,000 women who held a massive demonstration in Barcelona's Gran Via, but also the hundreds of thousands who protested in various actions throughout the day. The same thing happened in Lleida, Girona and Tarragona, where thousands of people gathered, and in many other cities in Catalonia. In Madrid, the Spanish government delegation estimated that 375,000 took part in the main march. Beyond the traditional numbers game of the turnout, the purple tide was seen flowing through many cities, making it clear that the force of change is unstoppable and that sexist attitudes can be defeated... if, in the end, it doesn't stop with just a huge rally and a day of protest. Turning around the current situation is an obligation for those public authorities who are willing to stand in the street alongside those who protest (with elections close at hand as well), and who, on the other hand, are far less willing to adopt radical measures to achieve the desired goal. It has always been easier to say than to do.
Remaining basically outside this social mainstream were political parties PP and Vox along with employers association CEOE. In the case of the PP, this is especially serious since the party is now undermining the few steps it had taken in this area in recent years, out of the fear that Vox will end up stealing some of its voters. Thus, the party did not attend any of the demonstrations held in Spain, offering poor explanations which show up its distance from PP partners in the European right who, obviously, did attend demonstrations. Ciudadanos did take part, although without shouting about it, definitely afraid of being left without any flag that could set up it apart from the PP-Vox duel. But at street level, the party paid the price for its permanent flirting with the extreme right, for example, in the configuration of the regional government in Andalusia, and Cs activists were often strongly jeered if they bore recognizable symbols.
And on a particularly significant day, the CEOE employers association, disoriented since it elected the Basque Antonio Garamendi as its new president, also put its foot in it. They've had a credibility struggle ever since they defined a salary of 300,000 euros a year as "modest". And now, on a day as special as March 8th, they decided to present a report asserting that the psychological make-up and non-cognitive abilities of women explain the wage gap with men. Also, because women take fewer risks and are worse at negotiating. It is shocking that an employers' organization can issue forth such barbarities at will and perhaps it is time for those who took part in the protest to put their put down - if they really want to reverse the clear difficulties still suffered by women.