Hundreds march for women's rights in Barcelona

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Barcelona on Monday to protest against gender-based violence on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Under the slogan 'Fear and shame must change sides,' around 1,500 people, according to the local police, participated in the march, which went down Passeig de Gràcia boulevard. 

This year's demonstration focused on ensuring that perpetrators understand that what they do is "unacceptable," following the high-profile Pelicot case, the French mass rape trial in which a man is accused of drugging his wife for twenty years so other men could assault her.

The protest also aimed to highlight that gender-based violence "is not isolated incidents," but rather structural violence that is part of an "oppressive" system.

In the manifesto, the Novembre Feminista collective urged for comprehensive public policies and accessible protocols that recognize the diversity of gender-based violence.

It also called for public administrations and the judicial system to adopt a gender and anti-discrimination perspective "to ensure the prevention, investigation, and effective redress in cases of gender-based violence."

"They must guarantee the rights of all individuals, regardless of their condition, expression, identity, or sexual orientation," the text states.

The march also saw the presence of representatives from most political parties in parliament.

Sònia Guerra, the government secretary for feminist policies for the Socialists, who was present at the march, made it clear that the protest appealed to everyone.

"We want to make it clear that everyone must take a stand against this violence. Gender-based violence doesn't only concern women, it also involves men. We need you in this fight," she said.