International Women’s Day is a public holiday in Berlin. Thousands of people took to the streets to mark the occasion. However, they didn’t want to celebrate given the many problems that women have to deal with in everyday life.
The sun hasn’t really risen in Berlin yet when Family Minister Lisa Paus is already making calls across the country. In numerous interviews on the occasion of International Women’s Day, she advocates for a better balance between family and work. At the same time, the Green politician warns that injustices between men and women should be reduced and warns against a relapse into traditional gender roles.
Her Green party friend and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock published a video message at the same time. In it she says that women’s rights are indicators of the state of societies worldwide. “The more women are represented and have equal participation and resources, the stronger the country is – socially and economically.”
The video ends with Baerbock’s question: “Why are you fighting for women’s rights?” If Baerbock had asked Berliners this question, they would have received many and very different answers.
Protest in many forms
The protest, as is clear on this day, is multi-faceted. There are numerous demos and actions throughout the city – a queer feminist bicycle demo for FLINTA (women, lesbians, inter-, non-binary and trans people), for example. Or the “Power of Female Art Festival”. Or the demonstration for “universal feminist solidarity”.
There is no single large demonstration. The unions, together with the Alliance for Sexual Self-Determination, invited people to one of the larger rallies. The motto is “Feminist, Solidarity, Trade Union”.
“Fed up with pink”
Before the demonstration in Kreuzberg gets underway, Suli Puschban steps onto a small stage on a truck. The Berlin singer-songwriter sings one of her most famous songs: “I’m fed up with pink” – in keeping with Women’s Day. She looks into a colorful audience. Women’s groups, couples, girls’ cliques, families with small children.
Many people hold self-painted posters in their hands. They say, for example: “I menstruate on the patriarchy”, “When we asked for more rights, we didn’t mean the Nazis” or “No means no”. The demonstrators at Oranienplatz repeatedly chant loudly in chorus: “Equal money for equal work”. One of the main demands here.
The demonstration slowly moves to the Brandenburg Gate. Julian runs more on the sidelines, together with his two children. He says his estranged wife is traveling with friends. She takes advantage of the long weekend. “On average, women still earn significantly less than men. I want to draw attention to that. That’s why I’m here,” says the 47-year-old. “I also want to get my children interested in politics.”
More protection against attacks
“Only yes means yes” is written on the poster by Marie Derstroff. The 25-year-old painted it herself. In addition to equal wages and better working conditions, many of the demonstrators on this day are demanding better protection against sexual harassment in the workplace and sexual violence. “We currently have a no-means-no rule in Germany. This deprives many victims of sexual violence of the chance to go to court against the violence that was done to them,” says Derstroff.
A problem that Stefanie Knaab from the “Non-Violence in the Future” association has also brought to the streets of Berlin. She calls for more investment in the expansion of protective housing, advice and prevention. “Sufficient money must be allocated for this. Spain has enshrined the fight against gender-specific violence in law and has been investing billions in protecting those affected for years. I would also like the same from our federal government.”
“This is not a holiday for me”
According to the police, around 6,000 people took part in the demonstration in central Berlin. Laura Flug was among them. The 23-year-old says that she has lived in Frankfurt for the past few years and always had to take vacation so that she could take to the streets on Women’s Day. She likes the fact that she no longer has to take a vacation in Berlin. “But I still wouldn’t call it a holiday. For me it’s nothing to celebrate. We still have to fight for justice.”