Derry 'Stop Violence Against Women and Girls' march and rally
'North has joint highest number of deaths from domestic abuse' - Cllr Maeve O'Neill
A march and rally in Derry to mark International Women's Day will have the theme 'Stop Violence Against Women and Girls'.
The event, which is being organised by 'Alliance for Choice' and 'Stop Street Harassment', will take place on Saturday (March 11). It will assemble at Bishop's Gate at 1pm to March to the Guildhall Square for a rally at 2pm.
Encouraging as many people to come out to support the march, Derry City and Strabane District councillor Maeve O'Neill (People Before Profit) said: "The North is the most dangerous place to be a woman, with the joint highest deaths from domestic abuse. These statistics are shameful and they expose the inequalities women face in every aspect of life.
"The more unequal and the more oppressed women are, the more violence we will see. We have a politic that is extremely male dominated and in many ways anti women, with no childcare strategy, low wages for women, poor access to reproductive rights which continues to be undermined by Government.
"Society would grind to a halt without the back breaking work of women, who hold up families and hold up communities. By improving rights for women, we improve Society as a whole. This is why we must all come together this Saturday, to raise our voices against femicide, against domestic violence and for equal rights for women and girls."