Thousands protest worldwide for violence against women

Thousands of people in cities across the world rallied on Saturday to condemn violence against women on the occassion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Many major cities across Europe and the Americas saw a big turnout of protesters.

“The scourge of gender-based violence continues to inflict pain and injustice on too many,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

“We know what is at stake: whenever and wherever women and girls are under threat, so too is peace and stability,” he added.In Italy, some 50,000 people demonstrated in Rome, according to the AGI news agency.

Violence against women in the country has been in the spotlight since the murder of a 22-year-old university student, Giulia Cecchettin, allegedly by her former boyfriend.

The case has gripped Italy, sparking protests across the country where on average one woman is killed every three days.

“We have united also in the name of Giulia, because her story struck us, and I hope it will change something,” Aurora Arleo, a 24-year-old student, who went to the demonstration from Ladispoli, a town close to Rome said.

In Guatemala, people demonstrated by placing candles to write out 438 — the number of women killed in the country so far this year.

Meanwhile, in Chile, protesters carried photos of victims as they marched in Santiago.

Protesters in France gathered on streets wearing purple, the colour of women and gender equality carrying placards that read: "One rape every six minutes in France" and "Protect your girls, educate your boys."