In the procession, starting at 11:30 am from the train station square, Éric and Laura, attending as citizens, emphasize that “the fight for all rights and especially women’s rights is never guaranteed. Overnight, everything can change, as we see with international news.” Each presence and every sign held high in the air highlight the persisting realities: wage inequalities, violence against women, the patriarchal system, and discrimination.
“In many countries, women’s status is regressing, such as in the United States or Eastern Europe. Even in France, through femicides, rapes, and assaults, we see that we are not respected and our rights are violated. Women are the ones who suffer from violence. We are fortunate to be in France, but it should not stop there, there is still a lot to be done,” proclaims Eva, a student.
“Courage”
In front of her, Brigitte, with fifty years of feminist protests under her belt, chose to showcase a photo of Gisèle Pelicot on her sign, with the title “Choose Joy” from the magazine Télérama. “One for all, all for one,” she added as a slogan. “Thankfully, we had Gisèle Halimi and Gisèle Pelicot. In Gisèle, there is ‘she.’ These are courageous women, like all women, after all! I have confidence in their strength and society will change,” enthuses this retiree.
Facing the crowd, Nina Brehier, a unionist from Sud Éducation and Solidaires Pays Basque, spoke for the joint union (Solidaires, LAB, and FSU), stating that “women’s rights and gender minority rights are directly attacked by extreme right-wing ideas. Feminism is not compatible with these reactionary ideas. Just look at the recent votes of the National Rally in the Assembly or the European Parliament to see that it is not in favor of women’s rights.”
“Equality and Respect”
On Pont Saint-Esprit, drums and songs set the pace for the march towards the city center. A majority of women are marching, but not only. Erika, a healthcare worker, looks around. “There are also some men, which is important because society will change with everyone, without distinction,” she hopes.
