International Women's Day arrives amid divisions over feminism and youth questioning equality

The International Women’s Day celebrated this Sunday, March 8, 2026, comes amid a backdrop in Spain marked by failures in electronic bracelets for abusers, a heated debate over the burka, and a grim start to the year with gender‑based violence: ten women and two children have been murdered. Women’s organizations are once again taking to the streets to demand legislative measures and advances they consider still pending.

According to the Ministry of Equality, ten women have been killed this year due to gender‑based violence. Half of the victims had previously filed complaints against their alleged aggressors, and four had protective measures in place at the time of their deaths. By autonomous community, Andalusia leads with three murders, followed by the Valencian Community with two; the Canary Islands, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid and Navarre each record one.

In addition, two minors have been killed this year, allegedly by their fathers—one in the Canary Islands and another in the Valencian Community. One of the children also had a prior complaint against the alleged perpetrator.

Spain currently has 103,461 active cases of women victims of gender‑based violence being monitored by police within the VioGén system, according to the Ministry of the Interior (reported by Europa Press). Of these, 53,716 involve minors under the care of the victim.

Beyond the stark statistics, the feminist movement arrives on March 8 with a packed agenda of demands and pending reforms. Key priorities include strengthening protection policies for gender‑based violence victims after the recent failures of electronic bracelets for abusers—issues highlighted by the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) in its 2024 report.

Pending Laws

Several legislative initiatives remain stalled despite being central to many feminists’ demands. Notably, a future law against vicarious violence is being drafted by the Ministries of Equality, Justice, and Youth & Childhood, aiming for a second‑round approval by the Council of Ministers.

Ana Redondo, head of the Equality Ministry, acknowledged this week that there are “some hurdles” regarding the vicarious‑violence law. She said:

“I would have liked it to be in place already, but it is more important that the text is technically and legally sound and allows us to move forward, rather than rushing it in a week or two.”

Other pending reforms concern legislation against human trafficking and the abolition of prostitution—issues that generate intense debate within the feminist movement.

Grants for Abolitionist Entities

The Equality Ministry has recently proposed that organizations applying for subsidies for programs on violence against women must explicitly recognize prostitution as a form of violence against women. This requirement has reignited divisions among feminists, with some viewing it as logical and others as an ideological imposition.

“Women’s and girls’ rights must never be curtailed to launch wars that serve other interests,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared during the institutional ceremony for International Women’s Day.

The day also coincides with the escalating conflict in Iran, which has entered Spanish political discourse. Meanwhile, mobilizations planned for March 8 will reflect the varied sensitivities within the feminist movement. In Madrid, two separate marches will take place simultaneously at noon:

• The Madrid Feminist Movement will march from Cibeles to Plaza de España under the slogan “Against patriarchal barbarism, internationalist feminism,” with the sub‑slogan “Neither veiled, nor exploited, nor prostituted.”
• The 8M Commission will march from Atocha to Sevilla metro station under the banner “Antifascist Feminists. We are more. Everywhere.”