Millions of women around the world took to the streets Sunday to mark International Women’s Day. In Mexico City, at least 60 people were wounded as riot police confronted protesters. Tens of thousands of women blocked the city’s main streets carrying signs that read “You’re killing us” and “We want to live without fear.” Others carried purple crosses with the names of victims of femicide. Today activists are calling for women across Mexico to stay out of public life and not participate in the economy as part of a national strike against gender violence.

In Chile, organizers estimate over 1 million women and allies took to the streets of the capital Santiago. In Colombia and Argentina, demands for legal abortion took center stage. In Guatemala, hundreds took to the streets to mark the third anniversary of the killing of 41 girls who were burnt alive for protesting sexual and physical violence at an orphanage. Protests also took place in the neighboring countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica.

Large protests also took place in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Spain, the U.S. and Pakistan. Marches in Turkey were met by police violence.
In Iraq, where mass anti-government protests have been taking place since last October, women marked the day at Baghdad’s Tahrir Square with red and white roses and purple protest banners.

On Saturday in New York City, the Mexican Collective of Independent Women led a protest and performance in honor of the thousands of femicide victims in Mexico. This is Araceli Salcedo Jiménez, whose daughter disappeared nearly eight years ago.

Araceli Salcedo Jiménez: “There are many women that are missing in the state of Veracruz. There are many women missing nationally, in Mexico. And nothing is done about it. Today, we face figures of 45,000 to 50,000 people missing in Mexico. And it’s not right that our president says ’I’m sorry’ and then forgets. I can’t forgive the person who took my daughter. I can’t forget about my daughter. That’s why today I am here in search of my little girl. No one had the right to take her from me.”