Even if Donald Trump doesn't like it, International Women's Day has several antecedents in the United States. The former president, with embarrassing phrases such as "pregnant women are an inconvenience for companies," or the equally pathetic, "the best part of any movie is when they shut women up," could not change history.
It was in New York where National Women's Day was celebrated for the first time, at the beginning of the last century, and also where thousands of textile workers took to the streets to denounce their harsh working conditions, the germ of the feminist struggle for real equality between women and men.
It is good to remember this, now that a new March 8 is emerging and the coronavirus is one year old since it began to snatch lives, health and normality in our country. For this reason, the United Nations has chosen the motto: "For an equal future in the world of Covid-19", for the celebration of a still necessary date. A success, because the crisis caused by the pandemic has generated more inequality.
Among its effects, a greater gender gap in the labor market and family reconciliation, in months of temporary layoffs, on-line schools and closure of day centers. This is confirmed, for example, by the BBVA report "Gender diversity and training", which notes that being a woman and working in sectors such as tourism, commerce or leisure is synonymous with unemployment in a higher percentage than for men; in the same way that they also continue to bear a greater burden of work and responsibility at home.
Nothing strange about the latter, because before Covid, the 2015 National Working Conditions Survey revealed that 77.5% of working women are occupied every day with cooking and doing housework, compared to only 32.9% of working men: a difference of almost 45 points, that's nothing! Now, headlines such as "The crisis punishes women more: less employment and more work at home", El Confidencial; or "Pandemic of inequality... women assume more workload and care", El País, ratify the aggravation of this reality.
But this crisis also highlights the enormous role of women in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, monopolizing the front line of battle in many sectors. Proof of this is the report "Equality in times of pandemic" by the Basque Women's Institute, which shows that in areas such as health or residences for the elderly they are the majority, in proportions of up to eight to one compared to men.
Unfortunately, circumstances will prevent us from accompanying them in the traditional violet demonstrations that would run through our streets on the occasion of International Women's Day. However, from the distance required by these times, we will share - they and us - the conviction that, with the strength of unity, we will defeat the pandemic of inequality. Good and vindictive 8M.
Marcos Bergaz, spokesperson for the PSOE group in Teguise