Why these UvA students and professor join the Feminist March
On Saturday 8 March, International Women's Day, participants of the Feminist March will stand up for women’s rights. The protest starts on Dam Square and ends on Museumplein. We asked a male and female UvA student, and an UvA lecturer why they are joining the march.
The Feminist March starts at 1pm on Dam Square and will end on Museumplein. Organisations such as Oxfam Novib and Amnesty Internationa will also be present.
Alex Ayoubi (27)
International Transnational Criminal Law
Why are you joining?
“I am a hardcore feminist and think individual freedom is important. This is the tenth time I am joining the march. The issues society and politics are facing today are interconnected. For instance, the rights of both trans women and cis women are under pressure. Because I am queer, this topic resonates with me even more.”
Can you give an example of how these issues are intertwined?
“US President Donald Trump has enacted a law that denies the rights of trans people. According to him, there are now only two genders: male and female. At the same time, the government is targeting women by stripping them of their bodily autonomy. Anti-abortion laws come from the same conservative place as anti-transgender laws." ”
How important is it that men also participate in the march?
“Are you familiar with the saying ‘no one is free until we are all free’? To me, that sums up why we need men’s support to promote gender equality and achieve freedom. It's not ‘men versus women’, we are a collective. We’re all in this together. ”
Stella Küçüksen (26)
International Relations (Political Science)
Why are you joining?
“There are lots of reasons. The main reason is to contribute to the fight against oppression and fight for all women's rights. I join to make my voice heard, for myself, but also for trans women and victims of femicide, for example. Feminism is a tool to approach problems in a different way. For example, at first climate change seems to cause migration, among other things. If you then look at it through a feminist lens, you see that mostly men migrate and women are left behind (often with their children) because of social or cultural norms. They are hit harder. And I think this march calls attention to that. ”
Do you think women's rights are also under pressure in the Netherlands?
“Absolutely. The societal tone towards women’s rights is becoming increasingly negative in the Netherlands. There seems to be more room for misogyny, violence against women and gender inequality. For instance, femicide is a big problem in the Netherlands. Six out of ten women who were murdered between 2018 and 2022 had a suspected perpetrator who was a partner or ex-partner. So we should take a critical look at our own country. Right now, we lean too much on the #MeToo movement. As a society, we decided at some point that we are emancipated, but that is not the case.”
What do you hope the march will achieve?
“Specifically: agenda-setting. That we put the issue of ‘women's rights’ back on the political agenda. People get overwhelmed by everything that is happening in the world right now, which causes them to forget about this topic. Or they let it go for a moment due to fear. I hope this protest reminds people that we need to do something about this.”
Did you make a banner?
“I use my banner from previous years. It says: dismantle patriarchy, capitalism, imperialism, and white supremacy.”
Liza Mügge (49)
Associate Professor in Political Science
Why are joining?
“Because I want younger generations to have the same rights as our generation. I would like to march for progress, but first, I’m fighting to preserve the rights we currently have. The far-right is trying to discredit everything they label as ‘woke’. Feminism often quickly ends up in the ‘woke’ category. It concerns me that it is so quiet in the Netherlands. That’s why I want to raise awareness. Wake people up. Dolle Mina is also active again, and that doesn't happen for no reason.”
What is the goal of the Feminist March?
“The march, and feminism in general, is about achieving equality for everyone. Equality is a core value for democracy, so gender equality is a core component of that. I find it remarkable that fear is being instilled in (young) men, as if women’s rights and initiatives for greater equality take away from their masculinity. That’s nonsense. Moreover, not only women, but also many men suffer from patriarchy. For example, they feel uncomfortable with the idea of a return to ‘masculine energy’, which is being promoted by people like Andrew Tate and Elon Musk. We should focus on what men, women, and other genders have in common. This way, we can march inclusively, as allies.”
The second feminist wave, at the end of the 1960s, was a remarkable resurgence of feminism. It was a continuation of the first wave in the 19th and early 20th centuries, a movement in which women fought, among other things, for women's suffrage. The founding of Man-Vrouw-Maatschappij (MVM) in 1968 and Dolle Mina at the end of 1969 symbolize the beginning of the second wave in the Netherlands. During this period, activist groups campaigned for the abolition of legal discrimination against women, as well as for legal abortion, childcare, and women’s labor.
Where do you see gender inequality in society?
“Everywhere you look. The orgasm gap, the pay gap, inequality in the workplace and in science are all examples of gender inequality.”
What would you say to people who hesitate to join the march?
“That you can complete the march however you want. You can stand quietly on the side, shout, make protest signs, walk with a group of friends or with an organisation. It is a place to lexarn, get to know other people and exercise your political rights. There is a powerful energy. You feel that you are not alone with your concerns. Surely, by making your voice heard in an organised context - mobilising on a large scale - you achieve the most. Just look at what the second feminist wave brought about.”
