International Women’s Day Marked in Southeast, Central Europe Despite Pandemic

Women in many countries in Southeast and Central Europe staged rallies on Monday, marking International Women's Day, opposing violence and discrimination and highlighting the important role women are playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Kosovo, dozens of citizens participated in a "March with bicycles", while others joined a march in the main square in the capital, Pristina, under the slogan, "We march, we don't celebrate - against the patriarchy that kills". Simultaneous rallies took place in 14 other municipalities.

In the Albanian capital, Tirana, a protest under the slogan, "Solidarity; for Women, with Women" was organised by human rights groups and activists. Protesters emphasized that during the pandemic women are facing yet more inequality.

This year's women's rights march in North Macedonia in the capital, Skopje, was held under the slogan, "A state that stays passive is a state that harasses". The march, organised by human rights groups, focused on urging the authorities to do more to find and punish those responsible for this year's re-emergence of a Telegram group sharing explicit pictures and videos of women and girls.

In the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, the CURE (GIRLS) Foundation organized an activists' walk under the slogan, "She did not ask for it herself". The gathering offered support to all movements of women and girls that have raised their voices against sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination.

In Romania, a dozen feminist, social and minority rights groups demonstrated in Bucharest under the slogan, "Misogyny - the other pandemic". They called for the adoption of measures to compensate women for the effects of "the socio-economic crisis triggered by the pandemic", which they said "disproportionately...