In more than 40 countries, thousands of women and organizations are preparing the world first women’s strike for March 8th, the International Women’s Day, which represents a great opportunity to strengthen and unify the struggles to conquer women’s rights.
A few weeks ago, in the US, thousands of women took to the streets to face the misogynist, racist and capitalist politics that embodies the new government of Donald Trump. This movement joins with the great demonstrations that took place in the world in recent years: #NotOneLess of Argentina against femicides; demonstrations in Turkey against a bill that reduced penalties on violence against women. Turkish women managed to have the project withdrawn. There were demonstrations in Mexico demanding #WeWantUsAlive. There were demonstrations in Brazil and India against rape. In Chile, women were claiming for the right to legal abortion. The women’s strike in France for equal work, equal pay; The protests of women in Russia; the demonstrations in the Spanish State against violence on women, as in Italy and Poland to maintain the right to legal abortion.
That is why, today, in the face of the capitalist crisis that strikes us globally with adjustment measures and increasing misery, the women’s movement has a very important challenge that rests on the strength of all those women on the streets. In this first International Women’s Strike, it is not only clear that we women fight patriarchal oppression that condemns us to domestic work and disciplines us resorting to violence. We women are mostly workers and as such, overexploited due to our oppressed condition, which makes women the largest number among migrants, the most flexibilized and lowest paid among workers. Therefore, this strike must also serve to confront all the capitalist governments of the world, lest we be the ones to pay the crisis.
This March 8th, it can not be Angela Merkel’s day, Hillary Clinton’s, Dilma Rousseff’s or Michelle Bachelet’s. All of them are businesswomen who govern or governed against the majority of women. Instead, we as workers fight for a March 8th that continues the historic struggle of the textile workers who marched in New York in 1908. They fought for their rights both as women and workers. Moreover, in 1917, Russian women workers went on strike, thus becoming part of the launching of the historical Russian Revolution. March 8th International Women’s Strike will denounce the fundamental connivance of the Vatican against the rights of women, being against the right to legal abortion, sexual education without dogmas or sexual diversity. At the same time, the Vatican does not hesitate in covering up and protect paedophile priests and bishops.
We also want to make a massive strike and demonstration around the world in support of the Syrian refugees, people martyrized by the genocide Bashar Al Assad; in support of all the women who flee from imperialist wars and from hunger. We want March 8th to become the claim of the migrant workers who do the worst-qualified jobs; of all the workers who fight for wage raises, against labour discrimination and harassment at work. We want March 8th for all those who struggle to end trafficking networks for sexual exploitation, against femicides and for the right to legal abortion.
That is why, from the International Workers Unity- Fourth International, (IWU-FI) we call to organize ourselves independently of patron governments, to promote a great day of anti-patriarchal and anti-capitalist struggle.
Women are not going to pay the crisis. Governments are responsible.
· Down with the discriminatory, misogynist and repressive laws impulse by Trump.
· Stop adjustment plans around the world.
· Equal pay for equal job.
· Separation of the church from the state.
· Stop femicides, violence against women and trafficking networks. Not one less! We want us alive!
· Legal, secure and free of charge abortion!
· Long live Women’s International Day! Long live our struggles all over the world!
International Workers Unity – Fourth International (IWU-FI)
February 19th, 2017
