Los Angeles, CA – On March 9, over 50 people gathered at Salazar Park in East Los Angeles to participate in Centro CSO's 7th annual International Women's Day. The event was rally-style and free to the public.

Chants included, “Hey, hey, ho ho! Patriarchy has got to go!” and “¡Porque vivas nos queremos, tú machismo venceremos!” and the event featured music, poetry, food and a healing table.

Speakers representing various concentrations within CSO, including education, police accountability, and immigration, as well as from the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, addressed the crowd. Artists Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl also performed spoken poetry. All speakers emphasized the significance of women's liberation in their respective areas of work, and called for standing with the women of Palestine, fighting for LGBTQ rights, demanding equal pay for equal work, defending women's and reproductive rights, and working to end gender-based violence.

Juliana Regalado and Jordan Peña, members of CSO, were the emcees of the rally. Regalado stated, “International Women's Day is important because it celebrates a long history of women fighting for equal rights and gender equality. Celebrating International Women’s Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate and uplift women’s accomplishments not just at a global or national level, but also at a community level.”

Hannah Keith, a Teamster at Local 396, shop steward, and member of FRSO, shared a personal experience that demonstrates the ongoing struggle for visibility and recognition in the workplace as a transgender individual. “A problem that I face at work is that my coworkers look at me all day like they can’t understand me, like they don’t know what to make of me,” stated Keith. “That’s important to me because it means that they see me. Even if they don’t understand me, they see me, and I refuse to be invisible to anyone else ever again, not myself or my coworkers.”

One of the speakers, Tanjina Hoque, who is from Bangladesh and is a member of USPCN, declared, “On this International Women’s Day, we demand an end to sexual violence, particularly in Palestine. From Bangladesh to Palestine, women deserve liberation. The voices of Palestinian women must be uplifted, and actions taken to ensure justice and accountability for Israel’s crimes against women.”

Throughout the event, speakers called for systemic change and reaffirmed their commitment to dismantling patriarchal capitalist structures that keeps inequality and exploitation. From advocating for fair wages and labor rights, to challenging police brutality against Chicanos and advocating for immigrant rights, the event served as a platform for the voices of working-class women, inspiring participants to continue the fight for gender equality and social justice in their communities.

If you would like to join Centro CSO be sure to contact them @CentroCSO on social media or attend their monthly meeting which takes place every third Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., in Boyle Heights.

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