The
demands of the Strike The Strike and its demands give a unique framework for
grassroots women and girls to express our needs whatever our situation,
race, nationality, age, income, occupation, dis/ability, sexual preference
. . . in towns and cities but also in villages, where most of us live. We
hope that whatever demands you highlight or add, you will list them ALL.
The demands unite everyone taking part in the Strike, and to each local
action they bring international power. The anti-globalisation, anti-war movement, to which women
are contributing so much hard work and energy, is just beginning to
recognise that Invest in Caring not Killing is a perspective for
winning. That is why the central demand of the
Strike is: Payment for all caring work -- in wages, pensions, land and other
resources. What is more valuable than raising children and caring for
others? Invest in life and welfare, not military budgets and prisons. This establishes women’s entitlement – though we do the basic work
in every society, our contribution is uncounted. The other demands are
about specific needs, showing the ways that this first basic demand would
change the world. There has never been so much wealth in the world and
there have never been so many of us, starting with women and children, who
have nothing. At this crucial moment, we women must make our voices heard
and our collective power felt.
Demands:
- 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?
Women do the work of giving birth to, feeding and caring
for the whole world. Those in whom we have invested our lives are
slaughtered as ‘collateral damage’ or turned into killing machines.
And so we have been central to every anti-war movement. It is a disaster
that only half the human race is trained to care and the other half told
it has ‘more important things to do’.
As corporate power and its wars threaten every corner of
all our lives, people everywhere have formed massive movements – to
reclaim our land and our planet, and to stop the theft (via privatisation)
of water, seeds, genes . . . The Global Women’s Strike, women’s
independent voice in this great movement, reclaims military spending for
caring, feeding, healing, learning.
Strike for:
A world which values all women's work and all women's lives.
Strike against:
"America's new war" and all wars - women & children are most of those killed & wounded, and 80% of refugees.
Globalisation - an end to no pay, low pay and too much work.
Can anyone deny that production should be at the service of caring, not killing and profit? Yet $800+ billion is spent on arms each year – and more money has been committed to bombing countries like Afghanistan where people are starving, and persecuting or imprisoning anyone anywhere who dares to oppose.
Of the world's 100 largest economic entities, 51 are corporations and 49 are countries.