3,000 women march against gender-based violence in Madrid
The UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was particularly poignant in Spain after last week, when judges cleared two men of rape under controversial circumstances.
More than 3,000 women marched in Madrid to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Many of the demonstrators felt galvanised by a court decision on Friday that cleared two men of rape because their victim did not fight back. Because she had told the attackers to stop, but not physically resisted, the judges opted for the lesser crime of sexual abuse.
Marches took place across Europe, but in Spain, where more than 40 women were killed in gender-based violence this year, demonstrators spoke of a need for a cultural shift to encourage women to speak out against abuse and they know there is still a long way to go.
Al Jazeera’s Catherine Stancl reports from the march.