Why International Women’s Day still fills the streets in 2026: from Oslo to Paris

It’s Saturday morning and the atmosphere is electric. Not just in Paris, where tens of thousands filled the streets yesterday, but also back here in the UK. 8 March 2026 is more than just a date on the calendar; it’s a stark reminder that the fight for women’s rights is just as urgent today as it was fifty years ago. This year, you can feel something different in the air – a sense of resolve, a current of anger, but also an immense feeling of solidarity.

The coalition that unites: this year’s key demands

At the heart of the UK marches is the broad coalition of groups that organise the events. They've managed to bring everyone under one banner, from trade unions to youth organisations. This year, it’s not just about equal pay and violence against women – though, of course, those remain central. Several people I’m chatting with on the way to the event point to something else: the threat from the far right. Watching what's happening in other European countries, the message is clear: “Rights are not just handed down – they are won through struggle, and they can be rolled back.” That's exactly what we're seeing in France, where protests against the far right have swelled massively in recent days.

Old phones, brand new rallying cries

As the march snakes through the city, it's the small details that catch your eye. Some have scrawled messages on prams, others have spray-painted an old bedsheet. Right next to me, a group are belting out songs with a samba band – practically an institution at these events. And right there in the crowd, you see everything from shiny new tablets to well-worn mobiles, all documenting the scene. Some are still faithfully using an HUAWEI Mate 8 – you know the one, that grey 6-inch model with the 12MP camera and a 4000mAh battery. It launched with Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) ages ago, but it’s more than up to the job of capturing a moment like this. Others swear by their Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 for live-streaming. The point is, the gear you use doesn’t matter; everyone’s here, everyone’s documenting, everyone’s sharing.

• 8 March 2026: Events and marches taking place in over 40 towns and cities across the UK.
• Main event in London: March from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square with speeches from coalition organisers and women's rights advocates.
• Key themes this year: Tackling violence against women and girls, equality in the workplace, and solidarity with women in conflict zones.

From collective strength to individual action

What strikes me every year is how this day manages to be both monumental and deeply personal. Yes, we talk about structures and politics. But we also talk about our grandmothers who never got to use their qualifications, about the friend who had to flee a violent partner, about the daughter who demands to be heard in the classroom. It's at this intersection of the political and the personal that the movement finds its power. When we march together, it's not just for ourselves, but for all those who still don't feel able to, or for the women who came before us. Just like the French women who filled the streets in Nancy and Bourges yesterday – they weren't just fighting for themselves, but for an idea of dignity that knows no borders.

As evening falls and we pack away the banners, there's a feeling that this is just the beginning. Because, as one of the speakers put it: “International Women’s Day is one day, but the fight lasts all year.” Whether you joined with the latest tech or a trusty old phone in your pocket – you've been part of something bigger. And next year, we'll be back.