For 100 years on International Women’s Day, March 8 th , women have been acting and mobilizing for equality between women and men. Women represent a real power which it is impossible to bypass, acting for all of those who want emancipation from capitalist exploitation and patriarchal domination.
European women achieved the right to vote and to become eligible for political office in the course of the past century. Gradually, women have developed legislation and have started to hold political positions in various European governments. The quota requirement in the elections for the European Parliament is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that women can assume their full citizenship and rights.
In the context of the social, economic and political crises hitting the countries of Europe, and austerity policies imposed by the EU and governments that undermine public welfare, the situation of women is particularly alarming. Victims of ALL inequalities, they are the essential mobilizing force to tackle and reverse the many injustices and forms of discrimination.
We, women of EL FEM are striving to create a society, both now and in the future, in which it will not be a disadvantage to be born a girl, in which all genders have equal rights and opportunities, in which respect and solidarity will shape human relationships. We know: Another world is possible, a world with human and democratic production, consumption and distribution.
“Women, gender equality - work and welfare”
All across Europe, women's rights are threatened by austerity policies that put aside the real needs of women. When cuts hit the public sector and especially the welfare sector, women are affected: they lose their jobs, and they have to take over when public care for children and the elderly deteriorates.
Privatization affects women more than men because women need accessible and moderately priced services in order to combine work and family. With the feminization of poverty, the adoption and increase of fees affects them disproportionally.
All across Europe, women's rights are threatened by austerity policies that put aside the real needs of women.
As feminists and socialists: We focus all our work and struggle on our alternatives to achieve the liberation of labour in which “dead capital does not rule over living work” (Marx). This includes paid and unpaid work, the production of goods, services and reproduction of human beings, as well as work with machinery, technology and work with people, care and welfare, leisure and culture.
It is imperative that legislation is adopted in each state to sanction those that promote sexism and inequality in both private and public working life.
Violence against women
We want to open all eyes to the pervasive violence faced by women at war, at home, at work, in the form of genital mutilation, rape and everyday sexism. Violence in its many forms represents for us the ultimate domination of women. Therefore laws, programs and policies must be adopted to address and undo this patriarchal domination.
In many countries, women’s rights to abortion are curtailed or simply prohibited.
European feminists have been demanding for years the recognition of the inalienable rights of all women to decide about their own bodies, the right to information, contraception and free abortion in ALL countries.
We demand the withdrawal of the abject Council of Europe resolution 1763/2010 which subverts abortion rights.
Secular societies and gender
We object to the fact that misogyny, dressed up as religion, is once again rife. Women are imprisoned, forced into marriage, even stoned in the name of religion.
We women of EL FEM are redoubling our efforts to maintain or ensure the implementation of secular laws in our respective countries. Secular models of society must serve to open up and expand the democratic and citizen’s space. We need to deconstruct all forms of domination and in particular the patriarchal and corporate modes of control. To revaluate the role of national education to develop the critical spirit, in particular by promoting courses on equality and rights, the history of religions and on secular models of society. The Europe of the people must be a Europe free from patriarchal divine laws. Likewise, with the rise of fascism in Europe, we underline that we denounce and oppose the extreme right-wing tendency.
We are internationalist activists who are not just trying to create a better life for ourselves. We are aware of the living conditions of all the people in the world and we do not want to free ourselves at the expense of others. We are prepared to share our commons.
100 years ago our campaigners focused on women’s emancipation, on their right to vote, their right to organisation, education, employee and maternity protection. Based on this, today we are overcoming our powerlessness, by refusing to pay allegiance to the prevailing politics. We are at the forefront of the fight against the destruction of the planet, fighting for a humane non-violent society, without discrimination and without oppression. On the road to self-transformation and a radical shift of values by those instigating these changes, both, men and women, we women, socialists and feminists will lead the way to a free and equal society.
Note: This appeal was agreed by EL FEM members during Athens meeting on 20 th February to be used on 8 th March 2011, the 100 th Anniversary of the international women’s day. You might adapt it, according to your national realities.
