Let 8 March International Working Women's Day be a day off with pay!

Petition

8 March, International Working Women's Day, was won as a result of women's long-term struggles. This important day is an important day when women express their struggles against the male-dominated system, violence, war and all kinds of oppression and exploitation, and their demands for equality and rights.  However, this important day is not recognised as an official holiday in many countries and is not recognised as paid leave. We believe that this situation must change, because:

Recognition of Women's Rights: International Women's Day is a reminder of the struggle for women's rights. Declaring it as a paid holiday emphasises the importance of this struggle and sends a strong message to recognise the contributions of women in the social, economic and political spheres.

Ensuring Gender Equality: A paid holiday on Women's Day sends a strong message about gender equality. This further advances the debate on equality and increases public sensitisation to the inequalities faced by women. It gives voice to the struggle for rights against discrimination in the labour market, education and health.

Setting an example for future generations: A paid 8 March holiday is a powerful example to younger generations that gender equality is important not only in theory but also in practice. Women's rights and equality are recognised as fundamental values of our society and these values are passed on to future generations.

Unequal Wages: Women are still paid less than men for the same job in many European countries. The "Gender Pay Gap" is still a serious problem. Women are more likely to be in sectors that pay lower wages and do not have the same promotion opportunities as their male counterparts.

Gender Stereotypes and Roles: In many European societies there are still entrenched gender roles. These roles often relegate women to lower status jobs. They limit their personal and professional development. These stereotypes can even affect women's educational opportunities.

Violence against women: Violence against women is widespread in Europe. Domestic violence, sexual harassment, economic violence and all forms of violence... Despite legal protection measures and anti-violence initiatives, there are gaps in many countries in protecting women from such attacks. Women do not feel safe and often do not have access to the necessary support.

Women's Representation: Women are less likely than men to hold political, economic and scientific leadership positions. Although women have more university degrees in many countries, they rarely reach senior positions in large companies or political positions.

Access to reproductive health services and freedom of choice regarding pregnancy and family formation vary across Europe. In some countries abortion is still strictly regulated or prohibited. This limits women's freedom of decision-making and jeopardises their health.

Today, women are still forced to work in precarious and flexible jobs.  8 March should be a public holiday to make women's labour visible in the private and public spheres and to give labour its due.

The patriarchal system that condemns women to poverty, governments that ignore and condone domestic labour should declare 8 March a paid holiday to show their support for women's struggle for existence.

All countries that are signatories to the Council of Europe (Istanbul) convention should recognise 8 March as a paid holiday to show their opposition to all forms of violence against women, to eliminate the inequality created by gender roles and to demonstrate the inequality in society.

Making 8 March a paid holiday is not only a symbolic step but also an important step towards a more just and egalitarian society. This step must be taken to recognise the contribution of women in all areas of social life and to show that we value them.

Let 8 March International Working Women's Day be a day off with pay for equality and our acquired rights, for struggle and resistance!

Democratic Women's Movement in Europe(ADKH)