March 8: 250,000 Protesters in France for Women’s Rights, Including 120,000 in Paris

On the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day, around 250,000 people mobilized across France, including 120,000 in Paris, according to the feminist strike collective. Nearly 150 gatherings took place in over a hundred cities, organized by about fifty associations and unions (CGT, CFDT, CFE-CGC, FSU, Solidaires, Unsa) to denounce wage inequalities, femicides, and masculinist rhetoric.

An Engaged and Intergenerational Procession

In Paris, the march, predominantly female but also including families and young people, set off from Place de la République to Place de la Nation under a spring sun. On a large banner, the names of femicide victims since 2017 were inscribed, a poignant reminder of the violence women face.

At the forefront of demands was the reduction of the gender pay gap. In 2023, this gap remained at 14.2%, according to Insee. Marylise Léon, secretary general of the CFDT, lamented on France Inter: “We’re stagnating, progressing extremely slowly, which is becoming unbearable.”

Tensions Surrounding the Presence of Identity Groups

The announced presence of the far-right collective Némésis sparked a strong reaction from feminist and anti-racist associations, who deemed their identity-based agenda incompatible with the women’s rights movement.

A Movement That Carries On

The day before, several thousand people had already marched in a radical feminist night march, authorized at the last minute by the courts after initially being banned by authorities.

These demonstrations, filled with determination, serve as a reminder that the fight for women’s rights is far from over but continues to move forward, carried by diverse and powerful voices.