On International Women’s Day, CWLRCP in Gaza extends its deepest respect and appreciation to the struggling women of Palestine, who defend their rights wherever they may be, both within the homeland and in the diaspora. We salute all steadfast Palestinian women in their various roles – at home, in the workplace, in educational institutions, as prisoners in Israeli jails, and as activists in political parties, unions, and NGOs – who shoulder responsibilities equal to those of men.

This year, the eighth of March arrives as the suffering of Palestinian women continues to escalate on all fronts. In the Gaza Strip, the wounds inflicted by the abhorrent Israeli aggression of the summer of 2014 have yet to heal. In the West Bank, the oppression of the occupation and its arbitrary measures against the people continue, with women paying a double price for this abuse. The suffering of women in the diaspora also persists, especially for refugees in Syria and Iraq, who face displacement and deprivation of stability and a dignified life.

On International Women’s Day, the women of Palestine reaffirm their rejection of the Zionist occupation and continue the struggle for the liberation of the homeland, the achievement of independence, and the building of a national, democratic Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. They also emphasize their rejection of the political division and demand that political forces and parties assume their national responsibilities before our steadfast people by urgently committing to the requirements of national unity in order to achieve our people’s national causes of liberation and independence.

We at CWLRCP continue our relentless struggle to achieve women’s demands for civil and political rights based on participation and equality, as this is the main path to building Palestinian society and achieving social justice for every individual within it.

We also extend our greetings and appreciation to all women throughout the Arab world and the world at large, expressing our sincere regards. We say to them: let the eighth of March be a global day of feminist struggle against violence and all forms of the new fascism (whether religious or the fascism of dictatorial regimes) in order to champion the issues of women’s rights and interests, which are necessarily the interests of peoples in all countries of the world. Let us strive for just laws that guarantee women social justice and equality.

A salute to the women of Palestine! A salute to the women of the world! Glory and immortality to the souls of our male and female martyrs! Freedom to our brave prisoners! Long live our national unity! No to division! No to occupation! Long live the eighth of March, the day of international solidarity for all women in the world.