"STRIKING" STATEMENTS from women in Britain

International Black Women for Housework (IBWWFH) is an independent grassroots network of Black and other women of colour - African, Asian, Caribbean, Native American. Founded in 1975, we campaign for recognition and compensation for unwaged and low-waged work -- in the home, on the land, in the community, in places of worship, rural and urban areas, and for the environment -- including the work of slavery. We work to make visible women’s contribution to communities and movements for justice everywhere. We campaign against sexism, racism, cuts to benefits and welfare, rape and other forms of sexual abuse; immigration & asylum laws, police illegalities, for land-rights and the environment, and more . . . We’re calling all women to join us in the Global Women's Strike to make visible the enormous burden of work Black and other women of colour do -- unwaged and waged -- and to bring together women North and South.

In Africa women grow 90% of the food consumed, feeding the continent.
Asian, Latin American and indigenous women and girls spend hours a day collecting firewood and water.
In India women fight against bonded labour, a modern form of slavery, and protect the environment, as women everywhere do. (Few Environmental movements acknowledge their debt to women of the South).
Everywhere Black and other women of colour are fighting for land-rights, clean water and air, for decent food, against pollution, environmental destruction, genetically modified foods, and for military budgets to be diverted to health and social services
In Europe and the US, we are Sans Papiers - without papers - fighting for the right to stay, for asylum and against immigration laws that criminalise our families and us.
All over the world refugee women seek protection from rape and other violence, often because we oppose brutal regimes.
Everywhere we are central to campaigns aimed at getting justice for our loved ones – the disappeared, those murdered by police/killed in custody, victims of racist attack, detention and other miscarriages of justice. We call it justice work -- often men whose lives depend on this work, do not recognise it’s done by women.
Wherever we live know a lot about this work -- defending ourselves and our families against racism, sexism, poverty and debt, multi-national corporations, the military, immigration laws, the police, even those in the voluntary sectary whose role should be protecting us.
Stopping work, however we can, is one way to show how much we do.

We say "Strike while the iron is hot!" Our lives and our planet are at stake and we may not have another chance. Join in making the Strike a point of power for women and our communities, whatever work we do. It’s a new century, a new millennium - high time for change!

Women in our network say why we're joining the strike . . .

Patricia A - fighting against deportation "I’m from Ghana, and it is good for women in the whole world, not just one community, to take a break together . . . I have had to deal with abuse and violence in the family. My husband is back in Ghana and I am now raising two children on my own while fighting for the right to stay in England. We women are often used as slaves, trapped in the home. We are prevented from seeing what is going on outside. For me the strike is about re-building my confidence, coming out of darkness, finding out how other women are feeling, and how we can get what we need to deal with our problems. We can’t go back to the old days, we must go forward together."

I’m joining the strike because as a Native American lesbian mother I am tired of fighting against prejudices and discrimination because my lover is a woman. Tired of dealing with the homophobia that my kids face because their moms a lesbian and they are afraid they will be made fun of or bullied at school so they don’t bring their friends home. Tired of being an outcast within the Native American community that has been "brainwashed" by Anglo Christian beliefs. It is a new Millennium, and time for a change! Gonalcheesh, ho ho!

Akuwa, has recently joined other women who want to celebrate the first International Women's Day of the new millennium with a Global Women's Strike.

"I welcome it because women like myself all over the world don’t get credit for the hard unpaid work we do. In Africa where I come from, rural women are the ones who go out into the fields, growing food, carrying firewood, fetching water, and other things, basically taking care of families and communities. Society and the economy would not survive without this work yet it is not recognised. The contribution we make should be paid for, we should have time off with pay, and recognition for all the work we are doing in the home and outside.

In Europe, racism in employment, housing, education, welfare benefits, childcare, etc., . . . is so widespread that it's hard for Black and immigrant single mothers to get a job with a decent income. Women are working so hard to survive on low incomes that children suffer too. In addition, Black children are often put in the worst schools, and there is the constant worry that they will not get the encouragement and care to develop their abilities because of racism and limited resources. I have had to work very hard for my children's schooling and I would like to see recognition for the unwaged work of raising children in the face of racial discrimination."

Afro and Native-American women living in London, England

I’m striking against the racism and abuse me and my family faced growing up in an area which had a Black community surrounded by middle class whites. Every time we went out we were always suspected of robbing, raping or being up to something. We were always worried when we went out. We went around in groups – gangs of course. My brothers were often picked up and stopped. We were decoys for the boys. We would go one way and let the boys go the other way. We would let the police catch us so the boys could get away. We knew they would take the boys to jail and not us. At school we were always being attacked but we would be the ones who would get thrown out for fighting. Now we would end up in those schools for badly behaved children. There were 11 of us and we all had to take care of ourselves because my mum couldn’t cope. She worked in a factory. She had a one and half hour bus ride each way -- having to shop after work, getting home late, been on her feet all day, feet swollen and too tired to cook. Watching her and my dad’s health being destroyed by overwork and deadly working conditions and doctors experimenting on them with whatever drugs happened to be handy.

I'm striking for myself, and all the generations of women who came before, including my grandmother who escaped violent husband, raised 5 children on her own; protested against the US bombing of Vietnam, saying the bombs should be dropped on the KKK and other racists. She farmed and taught us about herbs and plant remedies decades before the alternative movement, she held down a job as a domestic worker. I’m striking for her life, which made my generation’s possible, to be recognised and valued. I’m want my sister's work as a single mother recognised, the work of being an immigrant, living in fear, fighting for justice, against police intimidation and violence, against racism from people who say they support you, against sexism . . . this strike is our time to start changing the world and ourselves, Denise

I’m a 49 year old survivor of child abuse. My mother is German and father's Nigerian and I’m going on strike for an end to being treated differently because of the colour of my skin and for having a woman lover. Along with women all over the world I want the hidden work of struggling against and surviving prejudice, sexual abuse and other violence, acknowledged and compensated. We have a lot of wages and back-pay due and are entitled to new life-valuing millennium which includes the right to choose our sexuality and to live where and with whom we want without violence and other retribution. Claudia, Black lesbian born England

I have been working on a web site for the Global Women’s Strike, to inform people and to coordinate activities. It is crucial to have something like this which can exist in different languages and reach thousands of people all over the world easily, at no extra cost and immediately. There has been a huge response from supporters, via email and other means, through contact via the Internet.

I support the strike for a number of reasons, mainly because I feel that there is not equality between the sexes and many women are working as hard or harder than men, with little or no recognition. I am not necessarily fighting for my personal situation - in multimedia there is little sexual discrimination - but in many other professions and many other countries, it still strongly exists. Niki Gomez, New Media Designer, UK.

I am a Black lesbian woman, I have to fight against all sorts of prejudices, in society, with my family . . . every day is a fight to get my rights, which are no different to the rights of other people. I support the strike because I think it is going to change the world, from this day on everybody will realise how much power women have. C, from Spain living in London

For seven years I have had to fight for the right to stay. It is now one year since I won my right to stay with the help of the Black Women's Rape Action Project in London. Even then, one year on, I still fighting to get my document and safe housing to stay in. I do not know how long this would take, maybe another seven years. Some times, I feel like the whole situation is too much to take on, but I have to continue fighting. I was in a run down hostel for almost 3 years, and suffered harassment that made it even more difficult for me as a woman. I had health problems, and had to fight on that too. I had suffered violence and my housing situation pushed back my health. During my fight to get my right to stay I understood that I would never get it, or it would take me much longer time to win my case if I was alone. One of the reasons I’m part of the strike is that we need organisations like these to help people like me to stand up and fight. The big people at the top refused to understand to take the time look at my case before taking their decision. I am a student at London Guildhall University. I just finished my HND Business Studies. I had to take a year off to take care of some personal problems, getting safe housing, and my documents. I am still trying to get backdated benefits, which are owed to me since last year. I am also planning to study a Degree Course next year. I have been to see my local Authority to discuss my grant for next year, but I have been told that there would not be any grant instead I would not get student loan.

I am also working a part-time job to be able to stay in college. It’s even harder for students like me who are refugees -- learning a new language and how things work, rebuilding your life, getting people to help you in the bureaucracy. The Strike will help in that the people at the top will see the suffering and the situation of all of us outside, especially us women who have to work even harder. Something is wrong out there, and the Strike will help show this. When we go one by one, they don’t listen. But if we all go together we can show them what the problems are and make them change. Cadi, Refugee from Cote D'Ivoire living in London

SEEKING ASYLUM IN BRITAIN . . .
My reason for participating in the Women's Strike on 8th of March is that I feel that women have always been given a low deal when it comes work and wages paid. Men have always been paid better compared to women, who by the end of the day go home to cook and look after the family. As an African Woman I have experienced a lot of hardship in the struggle to be recognised and had to suffer at the hands of men when fighting for women's rights. My call today is to request all women to stand and support one another to make March 8th a success. Mary, from Kenya

Why I want to Strike: I escaped from Uganda because of the violence, rape and torture I suffered due to my involvement in a political organisation as an active Youth member. I not only lost my family and property but my life was also in danger. Not even the police or the authorities could help at all. I was rather warned, threatened with death if I even mentioned the people responsible for my suffering and family as this would reflect a bad image of the current government.

It has taken me six years to get my claim for asylum recognised. I do not think I can forget one of the conclusions made by one of the adjudicators who believed my violent experience and past but claimed I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and therefore there would be no refuge for me.

Women rape survivors seeking asylum need the time, resources and help to recover from their traumas. I hope you will also agree with me that we should not be treated any different from other women rape survivors and urge all countries under the UN Geneva Convention of 1951 to recognise rape as a form of torture and therefore grounds for Asylum wherever we seek safety. Sharon from Uganda

I support the Global Women's Strike 8 March 2000 for a millennium which valued all women's work and all women's live.

I am Eritrean woman at present living in U.K. as asylum seeker because of the present war that is going between Ethiopia and Eritrea since May 5 1998. Here I would like to pass my message by saying that women besides being overloaded with the house work. Women also participate in every aspect of the nations concern, with out us things can not be done. We have big role to play in changing the economy, and social politics of all nations. But to my surprise all these contributions are not clearly seen or understood or recognized by the eyes of our brothers. Here I would like to bring your attention to our Eritrean Women Freedom Fighters, who have been fighting for the freedom of the nation equal with the men for almost 30 years and at last liberated the country. Please therefore recognize our contribution and do something for change. M, from Eritrea

I'm joining the Global Women's Strike because I believe that all women's work and lives should be valued. I'm a single mother of two children working very hard on a low income as a care assistant in a home with people with mental illnesses. Sometimes they take their violence against me because of my colour and say that I should go back to my country. I am fighting for my right to stay in Britain and for my children to have a better life. Where I come from women are often used as slaves, working on farms and in markets and also do all the housework with no pay. This Global strike has to change all women's lives. Rose, from Ghana

As African women we feel that from back home we have ‘no say’. Women are the ‘boot-lickers’ while men are the recognized people in the community. As much as we struggle to fend for the children and men nobody seems to recognize the struggle we go through in our everyday life. Protection is also not provided. Due to the mighty strength of men; they can do anything to a woman e.g. sexual harassment, violence, harassment at places of work etc.

Yet we have to cope with the workload in offices and unwaged work in our homes. We have struggled in our countries to feed our children and to feed the society because even in the farms most work is left to the women, i.e. cultivating, digging, planting and harvesting without the machinery, being treated like a beast of burden and yet nobody recognizes the work of our hands.

After suffering in our countries we come to Europe to get protection and recognition but yet it is the same struggle. Being forced to survive on vouchers and given very little to survive on. The woman again starts to struggle in providing the food to the children and at times children really suffer seeing the devastation on their mothers’ face. Two women from Ghana & Kenya

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