https://socialistaction.org/2017/03/04/women-to-strike-around-the-world/
Women on strike around the world
/ 13 hours ago
march-2017-womens-marchBy ANN MONTAGUE
International Women’s Day, March 8, is set as the date for women’s
strikes around the world. This event comes on the heels of a series of
strikes and mass demonstrations last year when women poured into the
streets of Poland, Ireland, Turkey, Italy, Argentina, and Iceland.
This time, the call by the International Women’s Strike Network has been
answered by more than 30 countries around the world and on every
continent. Women in each country are creating their own platforms and
demands.
The majority of demands deal with issues ranging from violence against
women and reproductive rights to social demands like the minimum wage,
labor rights, equal pay, public services, and health care. Demands also
oppose racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and transphobia. The forms that
actions will take also vary by country and include strikes, direct
action, mass marches, pickets, and boycotts. In Italy, women are
organizing with radical trade unions for women-led workplace strikes.
The call for the International Women’s Strike was issued last October.
The women organizers were clear about the issues that are central to
their demands and the power of women to win: “We, the women of the
world, are fed up with violence addressed at us, physical, economic,
verbal and moral. We will no longer tolerate it passively.
“We demand that our governments stop using misogynist insults and start
taking real measures to solve numerous problems related to our safety,
free access to medical care, including abortion, the establishment of
severe penalties to be applied to our oppressors in cases of rape,
domestic violence and every gender-based crime.…
“As aware citizens, we the women of the world, know the world is going
through a crisis phase, but we do not accept being victims of it.”
The original statement was signed by women in 17 countries. That number
has now greatly increased, as over 30 countries are planning women’s
strikes on March 8.
The impetus for the global strike looked back to the historic example of
women who went on strike in Iceland in 1975. This inspired women in
Poland, who organized a day-long strike on Oct. 3, 2016, to stop a law
criminalizing abortion and miscarriage. The legislation was immediately
withdrawn by the government.
In the same month, Korean women came out to protest several times
against greater penalties for doctors who performed abortions. This was
followed by women in Argentina, who went on strike and held massive
rallies after the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl. As protests
continued around the world, the International Women’s Strike chose March
8 to launch the largest global women’s strike in history.
Striking in the United States
International Women’s Strike, U.S. has been launched in solidarity with
the International Women’s Strike. On Feb. 6, eight prominent U.S.
feminists wrote an article for The Guardian calling for strikes and
demonstrations on March 8. They spoke of the need for a “feminism for
the 99%” and waging a militant feminist struggle.
“In our view,” the women wrote, “it is not enough to oppose Trump and
his aggressively misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic and racist
policies. We also need to target the neoliberal attack on social
provision and labor rights. Women’s conditions of life, especially those
of women of color and of working, unemployed and migrant women, have
steadily deteriorated over the last 30 years, thanks to financialization
and corporate globalization.”
They referenced the recent women’s strikes in Poland, South Korea, and
Ireland against abortion bans and in defense of reproductive rights, and
marches in Latin America against male violence against women.
They stated that the first step in building a new feminist movement
would be to help build an international strike against male violence and
in defense of reproductive rights on March 8. The expansive platform
they collaboratively developed covered: An End To Gendered Violence,
Reproductive Justice For All, Labor Rights, Full Social Provisioning,
and For An Anti-racist and Anti-imperialist Feminism. For the full
platform, see womenstrikeus.org.
Currently, 24 cities across the United States are planning strikes and
international solidarity events, and there are even more U.S. cities
where women have begun meeting to plan events for March 8.
The strikes are inclusive of all women and all forms of work that women
do: Women working in the formal labor market with or without labor
rights, unions and the legal right to strike, and legal status;
unemployed women; sex workers; women performing unpaid housework and
care work; and students.
Actions might mean a strike for the day, a partial day strike, marches,
rallies, or forums. It might also be a boycott or picket of a local
misogynist business or individual. If women are not able to leave care
and housework for the day to participate in actions, they can wear red
and talk to others about what is happening globally and why they are in
solidarity with women around the globe.
After the launching of the International Women’s Strike, U.S., the main
organizers of the Jan. 21 Women’s March announced March 8 as “A Day
Without Women,” which would be rooted in calls for boycotts on that day.
The two groups are in solidarity with each other and may organize some
events together in some parts of the country.
International Women’s Day: A proud history
International Women’s Day is recognized in 25 countries as an official
holiday, but the United States is not one of them. The history of the
holiday goes back to 1908 when 15,000 women garment workers marched
through New York City to demand shorter work hours, higher pay, and
voting rights. The following year saw a 13-week strike of immigrant
women garment workers against Triangle Shirtwaist and other sweatshops.
The strike continued through the brutal winter and was known as the
“Uprising of the 20,000.”
Inspired by the struggles of the women garment workers in the United
States, German socialist Clara Zetkin (seen in photo above) agitated for
a day to mark working women’s International solidarity.
In 1910, women from 17 countries attended the Second International
Conference of Working Women, which designated International Working
Women’s Day in response to the mass strikes and demonstrations by women
workers in the United States.
The following year, one million women throughout Europe marched in the
streets to demand their rights on International Working Women’s Day, and
in following years they protested the imperialist World War.
In 1917, Russian women textile workers went on strike on International
Women’s Day, demanding, “Peace, Land, and Bread.” This sparked the
struggle to overthrow the Tsar and the beginning of the Russian Revolution.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, whether you walk off the job for
the whole day, leave work early to protest wage inequality, attend a
rally, march, picket or boycott, you are part of the actions happening
around the globe.
This is an important continuation of the solidarity shown in 1910 when
Clara Zetkin in Germany insisted on creating a day inspired by women
workers struggling in the United States.
•••••
Women protest in Eastern Europe, China
In Poland last October, tens of thousands of women went on strike and
participated in mass demonstrations throughout the country in protest of
legislation that would have imposed a blanket ban on abortion, including
in instances of rape and incest. As a result, the conservative
government completely withdrew the legislation.
Marta Lempart, one of the organizers of that strike, was asked for a few
words of advice for women in other countries: “Always protest where you
live. Stay in your community, focus there, and you will always find
people who will support you. There will also be people who hate you, but
they will always hate you anyway. You do not have to care about that… do
your own gathering and collect more people.
“Then you feel the power, even if you have five, or 10 or 50 people—you
collected those people. I would also tell them to join in the
International Women’s Strike on March 8.”
A major issue the women in Russia are facing is that new laws were
passed that diminish domestic violence laws. Domestic violence will no
longer be a crime. Beating up a relative once a year will be a
misdemeanor, subject to administrative law. As Yelena Mizulina, a
Russian Parliament member, put it, “We don’t want to put people in jail
for two years and call them “criminals” for the rest of their lives for
just slapping a woman in the face.” A lot of women in Russia are still
unaware of these changes; this will be a major issue for femisnists in
Russia this year.
Feminists in China are not actively organizing strikes on March 8. Even
the mention of the International Strikes got a swift reaction from
government censors.
The Feminist Voices organization shared an article about the women’s
strike in the U.S. from New York Magazine. The article was entitled, “On
March 8, Women Will Go On Strike.” The article was shared on Weibo, a
China-based microblogging platform similar to Twitter. According to The
New York Times the notice from Sina.com, the platform’s host, read,
“Hello, because content you recently posted violates national laws and
regulations, your account will be banned for 30 days.” Feminist Voices
circulated this notice on another social media account.
They believe it was the March 8 strike article that prompted the censor
since it was the only one of the group’s Weibo posts to be censored
recently. An unnamed Sina.com staffer told the group that the suspension
was ordered by the Cyberspace Administration of the State Information
Office. — ANN MONTAGUE
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
18Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)18
Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
March 4, 2017 in Women's Liberation.
Related posts
feb-2017-irish-women
Women in Ireland call March 8 strike
nov-2016-iceland-2
Women strike around the world
Anti-abortion Alicia Arbisi, front right, and her group, stand
face-to-face against abortion rights demonstrators as abortion opponents
march in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, Jan. 25,
2013, in a demonstration that coincides with the landmark U.S. Supreme
Court decision that created a constitutional, nationwide right to
abortion. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Forward to the Women’s March on Washington!
Post navigation
← Trump escalates war on immigrant workers
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month March 2017 (1) February 2017 (19)
January 2017 (13) December 2016 (12) November 2016 (19) October 2016
(12) September 2016 (10) August 2016 (10) July 2016 (14) June 2016
(14) May 2016 (9) April 2016 (12) March 2016 (14) February 2016 (8)
January 2016 (11) December 2015 (11) November 2015 (9) October 2015
(8) September 2015 (10) August 2015 (7) July 2015 (13) June 2015 (9)
May 2015 (10) April 2015 (12) March 2015 (9) February 2015 (11)
January 2015 (10) December 2014 (12) November 2014 (11) October 2014
(9) September 2014 (6) August 2014 (10) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10)
May 2014 (11) April 2014 (10) March 2014 (9) February 2014 (11)
January 2014 (11) December 2013 (10) November 2013 (11) October 2013
(17) September 2013 (13) August 2013 (10) July 2013 (11) June 2013
(15) May 2013 (14) April 2013 (14) March 2013 (12) February 2013
(10) January 2013 (17) December 2012 (7) November 2012 (8) October
2012 (19) September 2012 (2) August 2012 (27) July 2012 (18) June
2012 (3) May 2012 (19) April 2012 (14) March 2012 (17) February 2012
(19) January 2012 (17) December 2011 (3) November 2011 (33) October
2011 (14) September 2011 (13) August 2011 (34) July 2011 (24) June
2011 (19) May 2011 (19) April 2011 (15) March 2011 (15) February
2011 (16) January 2011 (15) December 2010 (17) November 2010 (1)
October 2010 (6) September 2010 (3) August 2010 (8) July 2010 (7)
June 2010 (2) May 2010 (9) April 2010 (3) March 2010 (8) February
2010 (3) January 2010 (9) December 2009 (6) November 2009 (5)
October 2009 (16) September 2009 (3) August 2009 (2) July 2009 (5)
June 2009 (2) May 2009 (7) April 2009 (6) March 2009 (16) February
2009 (9) January 2009 (10) December 2008 (11) November 2008 (8)
October 2008 (16) September 2008 (14) August 2008 (18) July 2008
(12) June 2008 (3) May 2008 (2) April 2008 (3) March 2008 (14)
February 2008 (11) January 2008 (11) December 2007 (8) November 2007
(1) July 2007 (1) June 2007 (1) April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1)
February 2007 (3) December 2006 (11) November 2006 (11) October 2006
(13) September 2006 (15) August 2006 (11) July 2006 (18) June 2006
(7) May 2006 (14) April 2006 (6) March 2006 (14) February 2006 (5)
January 2006 (2) December 2005 (9) November 2005 (8) October 2005
(13) September 2005 (12) August 2005 (9) July 2005 (16) June 2005
(16) May 2005 (16) April 2005 (12) March 2005 (14) February 2005
(19) January 2005 (15) December 2004 (14) November 2002 (17) October
2002 (19) September 2002 (22) August 2002 (21) July 2002 (15) May
2002 (21) April 2002 (21) February 2002 (15) January 2002 (15)
December 2001 (17) October 2001 (24) September 2001 (18) July 2001
(19) June 2001 (18) October 2000 (17) September 2000 (21) August
2000 (19) July 2000 (16) June 2000 (26) May 2000 (21) April 2000
(22) March 2000 (28) February 2000 (18) January 2000 (20) December
1999 (20) November 1999 (26) October 1999 (25) September 1999 (18)
August 1999 (40) July 1999 (38) June 1999 (24) May 1999 (27) April
1999 (25) March 1999 (26) February 1999 (29) January 1999 (24) July
1998 (12)
Search
View socialistactionusa’s profile on Facebook
View SocialistActUS’s profile on Twitter
View SocialistActionCT’s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
After the Women's March: Which Way Forward?
March 24, 2017 at 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Elmwood Community Center, 1106 New Britain Ave., West Hartford, Connecticut
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International
Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory & History
Middle East National Oppression Police & FBI Prisons South Asia
Uncategorized Vote Socialist Action Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
