Thousands take to the streets of Malaga for International Women's Day 2026

The sun was out on Sunday 8 March as people came in droves to Malaga's Plaza de la Merced. From midday they made their way across the city, passing Malaga film festival's red carpets before they finished in the Plaza Enrique García Herrera (also known as Plaza de Camas) to hear a speech, emphasising the slogan of this year's demonstration: "For women's rights, health and peace."

The event to mark International Women's Day (IWD) drew crowds that began at around 3,500 people, a figure which later rose to more than 13,500 according to the National Police.

This followed two recently organised demonstrations by the Malaga feminist movement, the first a “performance” for peace, in solidarity with Palestine. The second, on Saturday, in the Plaza de Félix Sáenz, to demand the right to adequate public health funding and research into women's diseases.

Carmen Martín, the president of the Plataforma Violencia Cero (a group against gender-based violence) stated: “We demand labour, social, political and economic rights and denounce the violence we suffer, because if we are raped and murdered, it means that women's rights are not being respected."

In response to criticism that the "no to war" discourse could be overshadowing the IWD protest, she defended it in statements to SUR: "We are with the 'no to war'. We are going to shout it because we are against rape and against being locked up, wherever that may be."

Andrea Barbotta, vice-president of the platform, added: "In all wars, women are the ones who suffer the most."

Martín also made it clear before the demonstration began that: "On international women's day we cannot forget our specific focus - women. It is true that the global situation is complicated, but we cannot ignore what international women's day means, we must take notice of where we women are and the direction that feminism should be heading.”

The Malaga Feminist movement explained that this protest was not, “out of habit, but out of necessity” because, “inequality between men and women still exists, violence continues, and because every right we have today was fought for so we must continue to respond to attacks on our rights”.

They also honoured the 1,300 women who have been murdered in Spain since 2003 and spoke out against “institutional violence” which they define as "what happens when the system fails us, when the court revictimises or doubts the victim and fails to provide adequate protection”.

Among the measures proposed to tackle inequality were “improved employment conditions for women, better pensions, stronger public and universal services, better sexual education, guaranteed abortion access, providing mandatory feminist training for public service professionals, as well as abolishing the prostitution system".

The "no to war" rhetoric that ran through the march is also heard in the statement read at the end: "We demand peace and international solidarity and we defend multilateral dialogue and agreement as the only ways in international relations. We reject militarisation and all wars," concluded the speech.

Josele Aguilar, secretary general of the PSOE Socialist party in Malaga, handed out purple stickers with the initials of his party and, in statements to SUR, said: "Feminism is more necessary than ever. Toxic masculinity remains deeply entrenched in our society. An effort must be made to highlight the work of women or risk undoing decades of progress.”

On behalf of izquierda Unida, Victoria Morales, spokesperson for Andalucía, denounced "the chauvinist ideological display of Moreno Bonilla's Partido Popular, which attacks women's rights".

She added: "We are not only coming out to protest against the denialist policies of the Junta de Andalucía. We came out to say loud and clear, 'no to war'. Feminists are peaceful.”

Toni Morillas, councillor for Con Málaga on the city council, added: "We women want to live in peace, without evictions, without precariousness.”

In a symbolic act, the head of the demonstration stopped in front of the cathedral, in the Plaza del Obispo, and people began to shout: "Take your rosary out of our ovaries" and "We must abort this patriarchal system."

Protesting sewage maintenance workers, who have been on strike for 37 days, cheered the women. "We support them in their demands," said Diego as the march passed by.

On IWD there is a huge focus on the demands that are chanted in favour of equality, but it also offers a moment to celebrate the achievements of the feminist movement. However, teenagers, Sara and Mara, 14 and 15, suggest much more needs to be done as, “inequality can be seen everywhere, boys still laugh at sexist jokes but women who stray from the norm are criticised.”

Feminism and equality are also cultivated in the family. María Bravo and Guillermo Fernández, with their two daughters, cousins and friends, carried handmade banners in pastel colours that read "I want my daughters to be free, not brave," "Boyfriends also rape."

Apart from women's associations, feminist groups, trade unions and political parties, there were also banners from Amnesty International whose members marched in yellow, or from the organisation 'Yes, we tech', which aims to encourage women of all ages, young and old, to get into technology.

Its spokesperson, Ángela Dini, explained to SUR: "Women only make up 20% of tech careers, reducing their impact in tech companies. Which is detrimental as it increases risk of biases in tech or artificial intelligence that works against women.

The demonstration calls for equality, with women's issues at the forefront, but more and more men are joining the cause, sporting T-shirts and waving banners to show their support.

"Supporting women in all their decisions, promoting public policies that develop general wellbeing, critiquing sexist behaviour...", answered Luis Delgado and Salvador Villalba.

Sergio Martín added: "We must always support equality, wherever it is needed."