By Honorary Reporter Martina Marrandino from Italy
Photos = Martina Marrandino
International Women's Day is observed on March 8 every year to honor the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Korea adopted this occasion as a legal anniversary in 2018. Among the biggest events in the country for this day is the Korean Women's Festival, which marked its 38th anniversary this year under the slogan "Move Forward Toward Gender Equality! Strong Waves of Solidarity Transcending the Era of Regression." This event aimed to unite the voices of feminists and women nationwide in their desire for gender equality and democracy.
On March 4, I attended the festival at Seoul Plaza, and as I arrived at 2 pm, feminists were speaking and performing on the open stage. Many people sat on the grass to support the performers, waving big and colorful flags inscribed with slogans backing gender equality.
A street parade started at 3:30 pm and featured many people marching for the cause, with the majority dressed in purple, the color of justice and dignity.
An organization presenting at the event also gave participants a purple ribbon to wear around the wrist. Another handed out blue roses, the symbol of this year's festival, along with bread.
Both the bread and flowers were inspired by a slogan coined by American socialist and feminist Rose Schneiderman. She said women working in low-wage jobs require more than bread (symbolizing life's necessities) to live, adding that they also deserve flowers, which symbolize dignity, respect and the opportunity to flourish.
Besides the events on stage, the festival also featured multiple open-air booths for promoting campaigns and events organized by 60 groups, organizations and individuals. One section dubbed "Diplomats 4 Gender Equality" was designated for foreign embassies in Seoul. The embassy of my homeland Italy and those of 13 other countries set up stands, illustrating their commitment to gender equality. Every booth had gadgets for visitors and gave small prizes for quizzes related to the theme.
The exhibition zone showed records from past festivals and other major events in the history of Korean feminist movements.
The attendance at the festival of a range of demographics including Koreans, foreign nationals, both genders, the elderly, youth and even children pleasantly surprised me.
