KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Thousands of women marched through the center of Ukraine's capital on International Women's Day to draw attention to domestic violence, which has risen sharply amid restrictions imposed to block the spread of coronavirus.

Many of those in the Monday march in Kyiv held flowers and wore traditional Ukrainian national costumes.

“The purpose of the march is to draw public attention to how the situation of women has deteriorated, especially during the pandemic,” said Daria Mizina, an Amnesty International Ukraine activist.

During the pandemic, cases of domestic violence in Ukraine increased by almost half. Over the past year, the police received 174,386 statements of domestic violence.

The marchers demanded Ukraine’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention, a Council of Europe measure to combat violence against women.