Yesterday I joined the woman's rights march on international women's day for (basic) feminism and equal treatment of all genders — especially women. It still feels surreal that in 2026 people with a uterus are restricted by patriarchal structures, sometimes even by law. I brought my camera to capture some moments of solidarity and togetherness.

One experience I had that day felt strangely ironic, considering the context. A man spotted me at the demontsration and kept staring at me the entire time. When I left, he even started following me, which made me feel threatened and anxious. I ended up taking a longer way home, choosing the most crowded streets so he wouldn’t be able to keep track of me. Luckily, he eventually gave up and I got home safely. The whole situation was a bad reminder of how differently women experience everyday life. Even on a day dedicated to equality and safety, that feeling of vulnerability was still there.

What also feels important to me in this context is remembering that exploitation of female bodies does not only affect women. It affects all female being. Millions of animals are exploited every day for food, fur, and leather. Especially cows and chickens suffer because of their reproductive capabilities. Their bodies are controlled and used purely for production: cows are repeatedly impregnated (aka raped) and separated from their crying calves shortly after birth. The calve gets killed if its male and has to become part of the brutal industry if its female, while chickens are bred and kept in conditions that push their bodies to produce far more eggs than they naturally would which cause a lot of pain to them.

Of course this is only a very brief and simplified way of describing a much larger issue. But it’s something I personally think about a lot. For me, feminism also means questioning systems that exploit female bodies in general — and trying to keep compassion for all female beings in mind. I hope people that call themself feminits also remember all female beings.