Haitian women’s scenes of resistance: demanding justice and recognition on Women’s Rights Day | Photos

CAP-HAITIEN—The walls of the civil prison in Haiti’s northwestern city of Port-de-Paix have long confined Haiti’s forgotten men and women, locked away, some for years, without trial. But on International Women’s Rights Day, those walls echoed with something different: hope. 

For one day, on March 8, Haiti’s women—incarcerated, displaced, and often unheard—took center stage, demanding justice, recognition, and change. Across the country, from prison cells to public squares, women used their voices to push back against a system that marginalizes them. In Port-de-Paix, female inmates—many detained for years without trial—received rare attention. In Cap-Haïtien, artists and activists reclaimed their space through the Fam Art Festival, spotlighting women’s erasure in Haiti’s cultural narrative. And in Fort-Liberté, hundreds marched against gender-based violence and inequality. But as banners come down and festival stages are dismantled, a lingering question remains: Will these conversations spark real transformation, or will they be drowned out by the country’s deepening crisis?

“On this day dedicated to women’s rights, I wonder if the Haitian justice system will ever act on my case,” Alta Julien told The Haitian Times at Port-de-Paix’s civil prison with tears slipping down her face.

Julien has spent eight years behind bars without ever facing a judge. Her husband killed his friend after finding him in their home, and she’s been locked up ever since. Her voice cracked with emotions under the weight of years lost as she shared her story.

Nap Valorize Valè Yo, English for We Value their Worth,  a nonprofit organization marked March 8 with a rare act of humanity—bringing food, hygiene kits, and moral support to incarcerated women and men. The visit offered a brief reprieve, a moment of dignity for inmates whose lives remain suspended in a justice system that barely acknowledges them.

Local artists performed for the inmates, offering a rare moment of joy within the prison’s cold, confining walls. For a brief time, the inmates swayed, clapped, and even smiled—some for the first time in a month. The women said, for once, they felt seen, heard, and, if only for a moment, valued.

In Cap-Haïtien, We Women Org, a nonprofit advocating for gender equality, transformed International Women’s Rights Day into a weeklong festival and panels of discussions on female artists’ role in gender struggles. From March 1 to March 8, the “Fam Art Festival” became a stage for Haitian women artists, writers, and activists to reclaim their voices. Themed “Creativity and Resilience,” the festival featured discussions on how women navigate Haiti’s crises through art and literature.

“There’s no real record of women in the arts here,” Renée Vanice, We Women Org’s general coordinator, said during a panel on March 8 titled “Female Artistic Heritage: Between Assessment and Perspectives.”

“It’s all part of the patriarchy system, this system decides when women exist, when women evolve or when they recognize what women do, if they’re talented or not?” Vanice said. “This system underestimates women and prevents them from reaching their full potential.”

Some panels were done virtually in Port-au-Prince due to ongoing safety issues.

While some celebrated through art, others took to the streets. In Fort-Liberté, hundreds of women rallied, carrying banners and chanting slogans demanding an end to gender-based violence and equal opportunities. Organized by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Women’s Rights, along with local women’s organizations, the march was a defiant call for justice.

“We are not here to ask for our rights—we are here to demand they be respected,” said Edmonde Pierre Fils, coordinator of the Organization for the Development of Emancipated Women of Haiti.

Following the march, a conference gathered experts, officials, and activists to tackle urgent issues: corruption, economic disparities, and the relentless violence that continues to target women. A mass was also celebrated.

The event was powered by a coalition of women’s groups, including the Organization of Women Together in Terrier Rouge, AFSODNE, ODFEH, Madan Sara of Haiti Gathering, RFEO, and SOFNE. Each group, despite the country’s instability, remains committed to keeping women’s rights at the forefront of Haiti’s national conversation.

A visual look at how Haitian women marked International Women’s Rights Day—from prison visits to marches and art panels

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