GLOBAL WOMEN’S STRIKE 2007

Celebrating International Women’s Day around the world

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The Global Women’s Strike and Payday, a network of men, campaign together to win economic and social recognition for unwaged caring work and to demand the return of military budgets to the community, starting with women the first carers everywhere. We demand a world which invests in caring not killing. (Demands below).

 

Since March 2006, the organizations which co-ordinate the Strike and Payday in different countries have:

l Organized against the war in Iraq and the “war on terror”, including fighting for the right to protest in front of the UK parliament l Worked with the mothers and other relatives of US and UK soldiers who refused to go to war, especially Lt Ehren Watada´s mother Carolyn Ho l Supported Israeli and other conscripts, men and women, gay and straight, who refused to join the military, especially Mehmet Tarhan in Turkey l Campaigned against prison for life for UK refusers l Demonstrated to stop US war planes and torture flights refueling at Irish airports l Marched against military atrocities in northern Uganda to make a way for multinationals, and protested against lack of water and food there l Worked against the murderous and racist US-UN occupation in Haiti and gave Haitians a platform in the US to speak for their struggle l Won in India the release of hundreds of women, men and children from bonded labour, marched against rape by landlords, and brought rural Dalit and Tribal women and urban domestic workers together l Won greater recognition for domestic workers´ rights in Trinidad & Tobago and in Peru where the workers have formed a trade union and are running self-help workshops for Indigenous and other rural women migrating to the city l Gathered support for women in Mexico organizing against electoral fraud, rape and other repression l Opposed the building of large dams that would drown Kurdish villages in Turkey l Organized across race divides to fight racial and domestic violence in Guyana, and won back most of the new tax imposed on basic foods and other necessities l Campaigned in the US for a health food co-op to boycott Israeli goods, and fasted in the UK to protest the bombing of Lebanon l Worked with survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita for survival money, housing and reconstruction by government, and to expose theft by aid agencies l Protested the distribution of formula milk that undermines breastfeeding in Africa and Iraq, and defended the right of breastfeeding mothers who are HIV+ l  Helped win housing and money for mothers in Venezuela; attended as a network (72 people from 9 countries) the World Social Forum there, launched our new book on the Women’s Development Bank and made a film of our journey to publicize the revolution to which women are central l Co-ordinated a European speaking tour for two grassroots organizers who represent the Strike and Payday in Venezuela l Campaigned for the constitution of Ireland to recognize caring work, including with payment, as the constitution of Venezuela does l Campaigned for sex workers´ right to safety and protection, for single mothers´ right to an income for their caring work, and for the right of people with disabilities and older people to a decent income, healthcare, services and transport l Helped win asylum in the UK for many women fleeing homophobia, rape and other torture in dictatorships and proxy wars in Africa and elsewhere l Petitioned in Spain for wages for those who care for relatives and for benefits to be extended to all mothers l Worked with anti-rape organizations for rapists and racist attackers to be prosecuted and convicted, and for survivors to be compensated rather than persecuted, and their anonymity protected l Publicly challenged the voluntary sector and those feminists who make careers claiming to speak for us while they implement government policies of privatization, cuts and deportation l Gathered support from lawyers and journalists for a fair trial for death row Black journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal l Made visible the justice work of women fighting for their loved ones who have been killed, imprisoned or injured l Made holistic health treatment available l Deepened our knowledge of Marx and our understanding of how he can help us to change our world … 

 

And we worked hard to maintain and expand our international network, via email, websites, travel, and Skype phoning; run our women’s centres (a new Strike centre in India!), update our technology and learn new skills and languages.  We have translated materials on most initiatives into many languages, especially Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Hindi, German, Arabic, French and English. We got some media coverage for this work and for other grassroots struggles, in particular on an hour-long weekly radio

programme in Los Angeles hosted by the co-ordinator of Women of Colour in the Global Women’s Strike.  Yes, it’s been a busy year and more work lies ahead, but we have many more friends and are more effective as the movement grows stronger internationally.

 

Our ongoing connection with the developing revolution in Venezuela is a power for all we do. In one country at least the government is not training guns against us or imprisoning “troublemakers”. Instead, the creative efforts of women and the grassroots generally to reshape the whole society from the bottom up are reinforced and represented by President Chávez. The Strike’s films about this revolution are circulating with subtitles in a number of countries.

As a grassroots movement we confront the poisoning and destruction of the soil, the air, the water, the food, the climate and thus the health of the planet and of all of us. Everywhere women are struggling with a double and triple working day, the richest have got richer and most of us have got poorer. While feminism has helped to ensure that more women are in positions of power, most of them have followed orders rather than respond to the needs of the grassroots. Now is the time for our movement to re-examine every question.

Power to the sisters to stop the world and change it!

 

London Co-ordinating Committee

Demands of the Strike

  • Payment for all caring work - in wages, pensions, land & other resources. What is more valuable than raising children & caring for others? Invest in life & welfare, not military budgets or prisons

  • Pay equity for all, women & men, in the global market.

  • Food security for breastfeeding mothers, paid maternity leave and maternity breaks.  Stop penalizing us for being women.

  • Don't pay 'Third World debt'.  We owe nothing, they owe us.

  • Accessible clean water, healthcare, housing, transport, literacy.

  • Non-polluting energy & technology which shortens the hours we work. We all need cookers, fridges, washing machines, computers, & time off!

  • Protection & asylum from all violence & persecution, including by family members & people in positions of authority.

  • Freedom of movement. Capital travels freely, why not people?

www.globalwomenstrike.net

Conference
RAPE, RACE and PROSTITUTION

Campaigning for justice in the 21st century

Saturday 10 March

10-5pm

Trinity Reformed Church

Buck Street, London NW1

(Kentish Town Road end, behind Sainsbury’s, Camden Town tube)

Entrance: 20 funded organisations and professionals; 10 waged; 5 low waged; 3 unwaged; asylum seekers free

No one turned away for lack of funds.  Wheelchair accessible (toilets nearby)
 All Welcome

Programme

 9.30 am  Registration, teas and coffee

 

Rape & Domestic Violence – Justice CAN be won With Black Women’s Rape Action Project & Women Against Rape

Much has changed since the modern anti-rape movement began 35 years ago. Rape in marriage is now treated as a crime. Fewer believe women “ask for it”. But violent men are still getting off: the conviction rate for reported rape has sunk to 5.3%.  Women reporting rape are being jailed, & women seeking asylum from rape are deported.

Angela Fitzpatrick  no justice for her 15-year-old daughter who was raped

Lori McKenzie denied justice because she had been drinking

Frank Mullane  brother of Julia Pemberton, shot with her son by estranged husband while police waited in a patrol car

Gwen Stevens  won the first-ever private prosecution in England against a serial rapist

Jeto Flaviah Titti  seeking asylum after fleeing rape & other torture

Ms X  accused of making a false allegation, faced arrest & loss of anonymity

Speakout & information on a new anti-violence law in revolutionary Venezuela.

  

12-1 pm  Lunch – Inexpensive vegetarian food available

 

Race & Racism – Making the State Accountable to Women of Colour

With Women of Colour in the Global Women’s Strike (GWS)

The Big Brother events show that many more people want to overcome the divisions among us. But the establishment’s attack on “multi-culturalism” reinforces divisions, & hides the economic & social realities of racism. Only 7% of racist attacks result in conviction.

Selma James  GWS, some lessons from the anti-racist movement

Constance Kajjumba  All African Women’s Group, asylum seekers facing racism at every turn

Bilan Mohamud & family  victims of racist attack who won justice despite police & CPS

Hengride Permal  Chagos Island Community Association, fighting to reclaim their island from UK courts & US military

Tahrir Swift  Iraqi women under occupation

The women behind the men accused of terrorism – TBC

Speakout on the justice work of defending loved ones, Mumia Abu-Jamal on death row, the wage hierarchy, racism in schools...  

 

 

2.30-3 pm  Tea break

 

Prostitution – After Ipswich, Safety First

With English Collective of Prostitutes & US PROS

The tragic murders of five women caused an unprecedented outcry. Most people now understand that criminalising consenting sex – sex workers or clients – pushes prostitution underground, making women more vulnerable to violence & exploitation. Safety First will be launched to decriminalise sex work & look at economic alternatives.

Phillida Bunkle  former New Zealand MP who helped introduce decriminalisation

Pauline Campbell  mother of Sarah who died in the ‘care’ of HMP Styal

Revd. Andrew Dotchin  caring for all in Ipswich

John Furniss  Multiple Choice Rehabilitation Centre, supporting people on drugs

Sian Killcommon  SWEET, sex  worker project, Huddersfield

Revd. Paul Nicolson  Zacchaeus 2000 Trust, the poverty & debt behind prostitution

Camille Shah  Ipswich resident, understanding each other

 

 

4.30-5 pm  Acting Together to Win Justice

To win change, let’s discuss the proposals & suggestions from the day.

 

 

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