Bolivian President Evo Morales offered women in his country his “deep admiration.” | Photo: ABI

 Venezuela launched a new National Union for Women while Chile announced a new Women’s Ministry

Latin American women brought International Women’s Day to life Sunday with a range of demonstrations, events and initiatives.

​Venezuela celebrated the day by founding the National Union of Women, to contribute and fortify the country’s socialist ideals.

See the teleSUR special on International Women’s Day

“Today, 8 March, the National Union of Women will be born, as the highest expression of feminist force towards socialism,” President Nicolas announced via his official Twitter account.

Furthermore, Maduro called on Venezuelans to respect sexual diversity.

“No one should hide who they are,” he said, during a special Congress for Women, attended by 8,000 women from around the country, including from the LGBTI community.

Read more: Facing Violence, Resistance Is Survival for Indigenous Women

In Ecuador, 100 graffiti artists from Colombia, Chile, Venezuela and Ecuador contributed to feminist murals to denounce abuses against women.

It follows Friday’s announcement of a deal between the government and the UN to improve the lives of women.

The street artists adorned walls around El Condado golf club in Quito with messages like “Your mother is a woman,” and “No more violence!”

The best four works, determined by famous graffiti artist Alvaro Cordova will go on to paint on part of Quito’s public transport. According to Cordova, the message of the event is “The power of the woman to be free.”

Women’s rights in Chile took a step forward with the formation of the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality.

During a ceremony marking the worldwide event, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said that 51.8 percent of the country’s population were women, and that in every 10 homes, four had a woman as the head of the family.

​Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia, supported activities for International Women’s Day and expressed his “deep admiration” for all women.

“Sisters, I want to tell you that I feel a deep admiration for you, and I ought to recognize, again, that you are the most honest and intelligent. For this reason, I trust in you to continue walking towards a better life,” Morales said in a statement.

Read more: Battling the Practice of Patriarchy in Bolivia

​Elsewhere, the United Nations organized a march in New York through the streets of Manhattan, to demand gender equality and respect for women’s rights.

The mobilization, which ended up in iconic Times Square, called attention to the discrimination that women continue to suffer across the globe.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon attended the march as well as Liberian activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Leymah Roberta Gbowee and actor AnnaLynne McCord.