Facing historic shifts, Latin American women bathe streets in purple on International Women's Day
Women across Latin America are bathing their city streets in purple in commemoration of International Women’s Day at a time when gender rights advocates in the region face both historic steps forward and setbacks
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Cities across Latin America were cloaked in purple Friday as hundreds of thousands of women marched to commemorate International Women’s Day, coming at a moment of change in a region marred by soaring levels of violence against women.
While some are celebrating historic steps taken in countries like Mexico, which is slated to elect a woman as president for the first time, others are railing against potential rollbacks on rights they've long fought for in places like Argentina with the arrival of far-right President Javier Milei.
The shifts underscore the stark contrasts that divide the region of 670 million people.
Following decades of activism and campaigning by feminist groups, access to things like abortion has rapidly expanded in recent years, acting as a foil to mounting restrictions in the United States. At the same time, many countries across Latin America still suffer from soaring rates of violence against women, including disappearances and slayings of women, known as femicide.
