- Title: Women's Day strike causes transport chaos in Rome
- Date: 8th March 2017
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (MARCH 8, 2017) (REUTERS) PEOPLE IN ROME'S MAIN TRANSPORT HUB, TERMINI STATION BUS WITH DESTINATION SIGN READING "TO DEPOT" DRIVING PAST PEOPLE WAITING AT BUS STOP METRO STATION ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF ELECTRONIC SCREEN AT METRO ENTRANCE WITH TEXT READING (Italian) "TODAY, MARCH 8, 2017, DUE TO STRIKE, LINES A, B AND B1 CLOSED" SIGN ON BACK OF BUS SHOWING IT IS RET
- Embargoed: 22nd March 2017 10:56
- Keywords: International Women's Day protest Rome Italy commuters equal rights transportation
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- City: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001673MWCN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Italian unions have signed up to a global protest, calling on women to abstain from work and household chores on Wednesday (March 8) as part of a strike to mark International Women's Day.
The 'Day Without Women' is expected to affect public transport, flights, schools, and local administrations across the country.
In Rome, commuters faced a bleak start to the day as public transport workers walked out on a 24-hour strike.
Travellers were stranded at Rome's main transport hub, Termini Station, as buses, trams and the metro came to a halt, with only some alternative services provided. Queues of people stood at taxi ranks to use other means to go about their business.
The capital's transport workers regularly strike over pay and cuts, and some commuters were sceptical over the coining of Wednesday's action with women's rights.
"I think they're just using the occasion to create more headlines compared to any other day. They jump on the bandwagon, riding on the fact that there is discrimination against women which creates more clamour and use it to draw more attention to their cause," said Alessandro Dalla Libera, a Rome resident.
The strike had made getting around difficult, said a female resident.
"It's very bad. I should be at work in an hour but I'll never make it there on time. I can't get to work or back home," said Deborah Licausi.
As commuters waited for transportation, some reflected on the day's meaning and expressed their differing views.
"It's true that women are paid less and don't have access to the same positions and work opportunities that men do. This is not right because women and men are equal. God created man and woman to complete each other, with dignity and equality," said nun Sister Ursula, originally from Poland.
"For me it's more a case of attention-seeking, all the talk about women not being able to find work or having to struggle to advance in the world. I don't think that's the case today. I think it's more for a lack of want," said a young woman from Rome, Selena Fraco.
Rallies and demonstrations are due to be held across Italy on Wednesday to promote women's rights and to call attention to the gender pay gap in which women trail men. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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