Appeal for International Women’s Day 2016
Tear down barriers together
…all around the world! Hundreds of thousands have protested in Argentina and India against violence against women. Tens of thousands demonstrated in Spain and Ireland for abortion rights. Activists on the streets of Berlin blocked the path of the so-called “Pro-Life” movement. In numerous projects worldwide, women are actively fighting for the environment and humane living and working conditions. In Germany, health and education workers went on strike for a clear recognition of their work. In Kurdish Rojava, women are fighting confidently against IS and are building democratic and egalitarian structures. The international women’s movement is growing, networking and getting organised.
Against exploitation and discrimination
Women are doubly exploited and oppressed under capitalism. The majority of women work as educators and care workers ‘at home’ and in society for low or no pay. Women earn on average a quarter less than men, and suffer from poverty in old age and from the nursing crisis. Women from migrant families are particularly affected. People who do not (want to) fit in the categories of man and woman, such as Trans- and Inter- people face discrimination for being ‘abnormal’ and violent assault.
Refugees welcome!
Currently 60 million people worldwide are on the run. The reasons are war, social misery – partly as a result of climate change and environmental destruction -, persecution and expulsion. We have seen massive solidarity with them, and the concrete help by many volunteers gives us strength! We reject the attempt to play groups off against each other – be it over housing or social benefits. For this reason, we clearly demand more benefits from the state and government. We also demand safe accommodation and the right to asylum on the basis of anti-fascism! Remove the regulations based on “third countries” or “safe homelands”!
Feminism against the right
Throughout Europe we are witnessing a dangerous upsurge of racist and fascist movements and parties. Their answer to social questions is nationalistic and populistic. They are attacking the right to sexual self-determination. They want to force everyone into their reactionary model of the family and to abolish sex education. We demand the removal of paragraph 218 (which punishes women who have an abortion)! For a life and love free of paternalism! Stop AfD, the NPD and Pegida!
Cologne is everywhere
Sexism and violence against women are not imported goods, but can be found throughout Germany. We condemn *without exception* violence against women at the workplace, in education facilities, ‘at home’, in public and in the media. We reject the instrumentalisation of women’s rights for racist agitation.
Women for Peace
International Women’s Day has always also been a day of fighting for peace. Rape is used worldwide as a weapon of war. Fundamentalists in religious clothing, like IS, stand for the brutal oppression of women. We oppose war, rearmament, militarisation and the instrumentalisation of women’s rights. We demand: stop German military deployments and arms exports!!
International Women’s Day stands for the struggle for legal, political and economical stability, for self-determination, for the right to education, to physical integrity and for sexual self-determination for all girls and women. We are fighting of a society with exploitation and oppression of people and nature! In solidarity, critically and offensively against the current conditions!
There are still too many borders – let us tear them down together!
Come out on Sunday, 6th March!
Berlin | Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Start: 12 noon | Demo starts at 1pm
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Alliance for International Women’s Day
Contact: info@frauenkampftag.eu
Frauen*kampftag Berlin 