This is the text of a message of support and solidarity sent by the World March of Women. This message was read out by Marie-Claire Faray-Kele in the closing session of Feminism in London 2009.
Dear sisters,
As World March of Women activists from Europe and around the world, we thank you whole-heartedly for the invitation to speak at this Racism and Sexism panel. We would really have liked to have been with you in person today, but as this hasn’t been possible, we appreciate the opportunity to share a few thoughts with you all. We recognise how important the Feminism in London Conference is for the strengthening of the feminist movement in the UK, and we stand in solidarity with you today and in your continuing struggles…
The World March of Women in an international feminist, anti-capitalist, anti-racist, anti-lesbophobic movement that bases its actions and analysis around four Action Areas, one of which is Violence against Women. We believe that violence against women, or the threat of violence against women, is structural – it is an inherent feature of the patriarchal and capitalist systems – and is used as a tool of control of the lives, bodies and sexuality of women by individual men, groups of men, patriarchal institutions and States. Although it affects all women as a social group, each violent act has a specific context, and we have to understand how, when, and why violence against women occurs.
The general belief about violence against women is that it is an extreme or isolated situation involving individual people. Whereas, on the contrary, it affects us all because we have all experienced fear, changed our behaviour, and limited our options due to the threat of violence. Another common idea is that violence against women is a problem limited to low social classes and to “barbarian” cultures, but we know that this kind of violence is transversal, that it cuts across all social classes, cultures, religions, and geopolitical situations. Discrimination against women is compounded by the intersection of different modes of oppression: they are discriminated against for being women, but also because of their skin colour, language, “race”, ethnicity, class (and financial situation), religion, sexuality…
Although violence against women and girls is more common in the private sphere – as domestic violence, be it sexual, physical, psychological or sexual abuse – it also occurs in the public sphere. Our States are simultaneously protectors and oppressors, at the same time bearers of general interests and defender of privileges, but also patriarchal and violent (against women, indigenous people, immigrants, people of colour). Moreover, the very same police who enforce many of the policies we demand, are themselves perpetrators of violence against women, repressors of social movements, and are socially and racially biased. We recognise the contradiction inherent in this situation, because the fact is that for many women the only way they can defend themselves against sexist and racist violence in their communities and families is to rely on the State, which represents an external and superior power. On the contrary, the State that we demand is one that promotes freedoms and rights for all, intervenes in the economy, and is structured on diversified forms of participative democracy and control by its citizens.
Women have always resisted, and continue to resist, both individually and collectively. Whenever a woman acts in such a way that she defies or denounces the sexist and racist violence against her or women in her community, she is breaking away from the dominant paradigm. We need to support her resistance by condemning and naming men who commit violence against women, and publicly confronting men and society on the issue of violence against women. We also need to denounce the complicity of men, the State and institutions such as the army and religions. We need to mobilise civil society, strategise, and promote radical actions for the prevention and denouncement of male violence against women. We believe that the feminist movement should work towards the promotion of strong, wide-ranging self-organisation of women struggling for autonomy (economic, sexual, reproductive, personal, etc) and self-determination. The objective of our struggle is to strengthen all women, as we learn and re-learn together to resist and to build and re-build our lives without violence.
In sisterhood and solidarity,
The International Committee of the World March of Women
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