8M Barcelona 2024

Friday, March 8th, or "8M," marks the celebration of International Women's Day. While the holiday is important around the world, it is valued especially in Barcelona, and you'll find the streets flooded with demonstrations, parades, and lots and lots of purple.

?? WHAT IS "Breaking the Glass Ceiling"?

The Barcelona City Council is responsible for coordinating many of the March 8th events. This year, they've declared a theme for International Women's Day in Barcelona: "Breaking the Glass Ceiling."

The purpose of this theme is to eliminate the vertical segregation that girls experience both growing up while in school, and then later once integrating into the workforce, which makes it harder to achieve the high-standing positions in fields of politics, STEM, and business that men do. The city of Barcelona aims to bring more females into such positions and go beyond traditional placements of gender in the mind and in society alike.

?? DEMONSTRATIONS

Here are the times and locations of a few of the most important demonstrations happening on International Women's Day:

• 8M BARCELONA 2024: MANIFESTO- 09:00 Pla?a Sant Jaume. More information
• STUDENT DEMONSTRATION- 12:00 Pla?a de la Universitat. More information
• DEMONSTRATION ASSEMBLEA 8M- 18:00 Jardinets de Gràcia. More information

For the full list, visit the Ajuntament Barcelona website, or follow this link.

???? SIGNIFICANCE OF FEMINISM IN BARCELONA

It is important to note as well the significance of feminism and International Women's Day in Barcelona specifically. During Franco’s dictatorship from 1939 to 1975, women lost many of their rights, relegated back to more traditional roles within the family and society.

In the aftermath of Franco’s regime, Spain underwent a period of transition to democracy, culminating in the adoption of a new constitution in 1978. Divorce was legalized in 1981, followed by the decriminalization of abortion in 1985. This pivotal moment laid the groundwork for the reemergence of feminist movements in Barcelona and across Spain, as women fought to reclaim their once-visible autonomy. Barcelona’s strength has derived from a history of ups and downs, where women start once again at the base and climb back up, regardless of the setbacks.

?? GET INVOLVED

Interested in continuing the fight for feminism beyond March 8th? There are grassroots feminist collectives across neighborhoods, advocacy groups, and other social activist organizations all over the city. Here are a few:

• LIDERA?– Barcelona Activa’s School for Women Entrepreneurs
• Se Va a Armar La Gorda – Feminist Collective organizing nocturnal demonstration on March 7th
• PIAD?– Women’s Support and Information Points
• FemBloc – Several organizations bound against digital degradation and violence against women
• Barcelona Women’s Network –? A community for women in Barcelona spanning across nationalities
• Ca la Dona – Home for the feminist movement of Catalonia for encouraging progressive conversations and action in politics, economics, society, and more

If you'd like to learn more about this topic, visit our International Women's Day in Barcelona blog post for an in-depth look into the history of the day, organizations involved, details on the demonstrations, and more.