As the country marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Moviment Graffitti held a demonstration Sunday in front of the Law Courts, Valletta. The event included a short march, speeches by MGRM, Moviment Graffitti, and members of the Voice for Choice coalition, a poem by Klara Vassallo, and musical contributions from Kor Re-sisters and singer Ana Milenaria.
The NGO said it took to the streets because violence against women does not simply show up in isolated incidents – it is woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. “Our society is permeated by a culture of verbal violence: hateful and sexist comments on social media, cat calling, demeaning insults meant to belittle and intimidate,” it said. These actions are too often dismissed as trivial, when in truth they form part of the same continuum of patriarchal violence that harms, silences, and kills. Only by naming this violence and confronting it directly can we hope to eradicate it.
The NGO also wanted to shine a light on the violence – physical and psychological – that takes place inside homes, behind closed doors, in workplaces, in schools, and in our institutions. The trauma inflicted by femicides wounds us individually and collectively. We will remember the women whose lives were taken in recent years and we will say their names.
“Recent updates in the Bernice Cilia court case remind us that even when the perpetrator receives the maximum sentence, nothing can repair the loss suffered. Her case demonstrates clearly that when justice is delayed, justice is never truly restorative. We also recall the case of Chantelle Chetcuti, stabbed to death five years ago, whose family is still waiting for a trial date – a stark example of a system failing victims and survivors alike,” the NGO said.
Endorsing organisations:
Aditus Foundation
ARC
Caritas Malta
Doctors for Choice
IVY – Interrupting Violence towards Youth
Malta Women’s Lobby
Marie Louise Coleiro
Men Against Violence
MGRM
Migrant Women Association Malta
Moviment Graffitti
Women for Women Foundation
Women’s Rights Foundation
YMCA