WORLDWIDE WOMEN’S STRIKE 8 MARCH
On March 8, 1909 one hundred twenty-nine women died in the fire of a New York factory. In 1910 Clara Zetkin and Katy Duncker proposed the idea of “An International Women’s Day” or “Day of the Working Woman” and that it should be celebrated every March 8th to commemorate the death of these women. The first international strike of women took place on March 8, 2017 with the shout of Argentine feminists “not one fewer, we want ourselves alive.”
In this year’s March 8th strike, we want to make visible in the broadest way possible our strength, anger and pain, and at the same time our shared joy in knowing that we are strong and we are right. We are part of a process of the radical transformation of society and culture, the economy and relationships. We want to reassert the political force of women and preserve the planet we live on, in addition to making clear that the economic system would collapse without our daily work as caregivers.
We are involved in the struggles against sexist violence, for the right to decide matters relative to our own bodies and our own lives, for social justice, housing, health, education, food sovereignty, and secularism; and against free trade agreements and exploitation. We are anti-militarists and are against wars and national borders, against repressive and authoritarian States that impose gag laws and criminalize protest and feminine resistance; united with women who defend human rights and the land at the risk of their lives.
Women in Black of Madrid against war join in all the proposals and demands of the international convocation of women’s strike. Further, we wish to highlight that it is women who suffer the most from the violence of war.
As anti-militarists, we believe that war is the greatest enemy of women, but the United Nation’s Resolution 1325 upon militarizing the security of women actually perpetuates war, militarization that during all these years has not given security to women. We believe that human security, women’s security goes far beyond military or police intervention. Speaking of security, one must also speak of food, environmental, community and economic security. Real security requires a profound change in social structures and a change of mentality.
We believe that for women’s situation to change at both a local and global level, it must be considered as a problem of the State, regional and world security.
Women in Black of Madrid demand:
♀ That the criminalization cease and protection be given to the defenders of human rights, as well as persons who reject the use of weapons, conscientious objectors and deserters.
♀ Urgent measures to care for persons who are especially vulnerable, young boys and girls, adolescents, women and the LGBTI population. We demand action to impede the crossing on dangerous routes in which they suffer violations, harassment, kidnapping and prostitution.
♀ That all wars be considered illegal and that the minds of people, governments and countries be demilitarized: work that requires the involvement of all people. If we want security for women, war cannot be a legal option for either the United Nations or State governments.
Translation: Trisha Novak, USA – Yolanda Rouiller, WiB Spain
Pictures here