International Women’s Day, acknowledged on March 8 every year, is a day of activism, struggle and the continuation of the global movement to end sexist oppression. In those parts of the world where IWD is a struggle, and not a cupcake breakfast or morning tea, many of those demonstrations were brutally repressed. Azerbaijan is one such part of the world.

On today’s show, we look at what happened at this year’s IWD march and rally in Baku, Azerbaijan. I speak with feminist and political activist, Rabiyya Mammodova. As one of the organisers for this year’s rally, just before it was scheduled to begin, Rabiyya and her comrades were arrested, kidnapped, beaten, and then released at the end of the rally.