(MENAFN) Protests took place around the world on International Women's Day, with many demonstrations focusing on women's rights issues in Afghanistan and Iran. However, some of the protests turned violent.

In Turkey, police used tear gas on women who ignored a protest ban in Istanbul, and several arrests were made. In South America, reproductive rights were a key theme, with the recent overturning of the landmark Roe vs Wade US abortion ruling and tight restrictions on abortion in much of Latin America being major concerns.

Protesters also demanded action on the high rates of unsolved killings of women and girls. In Mexico City, a woman named Silvia Vargas spoke of attending demonstrations since her daughter was killed in 2014, stating that not everyone is granted human rights, with governments and institutions often determining them.

Vargas said authorities made her feel that her daughter's sexuality and murder were shameful, and that she was going home to an absence that had marked her for life. The protests highlight the ongoing struggle for women's rights and the need for governments and institutions to take action to ensure that women are granted equal rights and protections.

MENAFN09032023000045012476ID1105739743