On International Women's Day, protests were organized in several cities calling for gender equality, particularly for Iran and Afghanistan, where their freedoms faced severe setbacks last year. In Manila, activists demanding equal rights and better wages clashed with police trying to prevent their protest. Similarly, in Melbourne, a sign was raised during the march reading "Safety, Respect, Equality."
The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, stated, "Afghanistan under Taliban rule is one of the most repressive countries in the world concerning women's rights, and it is sorrowful to witness their systematic, deliberate, and organized efforts to exclude Afghan women and girls from the public sphere."
Conversely, Canada has repealed historical laws concerning pornography and anti-abortion measures, while Japan has acknowledged the need to do more to change gender-related behaviors. Ireland announced a referendum in November to amend outdated references to women in its constitution.
In Japan, which ranked 116th out of 146 countries in gender equality in last year’s Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated at a press conference that the country has made progress in improving working conditions for women but still has much more to do. He added, "The situation for women trying to balance home and work responsibilities is very difficult in our country and has been identified as an issue... efforts to address this (situation) are still only halfway."
