8M: the global feminist tide continues

It is 8 March it added an important milestone in the struggle of the women's movement and dissidence worldwide. The heat of the fight against gender violence, for the right to abortion, to achieve real equality, the 8M showed a radicalization that broke the capitalist trivialization of date, in several cases, also to the system functional lines.

Feminist and international dissident movement that shakes the structures of power with young forward has not a single motor, it has grown into a dynamic growing antisistema, It is against this patriarchal capitalism. While there are uneven levels of mobilization and different political lines each country involved and union, a basic refusal to male violence is advanced not only to demand rights but we still refuse to question more directly rulers, institutions and reformists.
Since three years, the use of the workers' strike as a method of visibility and control mechanism confirms a quality leap movement, while has been building a more comprehensive program reivindicativo: the defense of sexual and reproductive rights, to wage inequality and labor, theft of unpaid housework, combating all forms of violence and even the reactionary role of religious institutions. Both, As the third global unemployment, also strengthens the aspect internationalist, that thousands of women are becoming increasingly aware.

The combination of these elements makes this 8M has had greater length and magnitude than the previous, with some milestones mass weight and the emergence or strengthening of coordination of more regular and permanent. On this objective basis, by mobilizing, in many sectors of the feminist activist and dissident socio-political background growing awareness of the need for change, breakthrough that opens up a huge opportunity for revolutionary organizations.

A brief review of global action

It would be impossible to portray everything that happened 8M, since international strike and mass action or avant-garde have covered more than 70 countries and expressed in all kinds of initiatives in thousands of cities worldwide.
In the U.S, without reaching the massiveness of the marches anti-Trump last January, major demonstrations and actions were held in major cities. In parallel, establishment analysts point out that the main imperialist power in the world there is an unprecedented growth of socialist ideas.

He Spanish state He marked the highest point in Europe 8M. As noted by our militants SOL (Socialism and Freedom): "We labor strike, student, care and consumption, pickets, posters, lectures and cultural activities; society was tinged with lilac. We are happy to have shared experiences with colleagues, Meeting friends and supporters and to the left in Murcia, Barcelona and Madrid ". This great feminist mobilization is the counterpart of a polarization with anti-reactionary rights as citizens and Vox.
In France, Belgium, Portugal, Italy and other European countries also were large demonstrations, actions and campaigns on social networks. In Germany, Boards and partners of the Left participated in the demonstration in Berlin.

A special 8M was in Turkey, where the dictatorial government of Erdogan banned marches. SEP our colleagues tell us: "The AKP hostility toward women manifested itself once again through police blockades and pressures. In the women's march in Istanbul, women police attacked with pepper spray and rubber bullets. Most Ankara, 8M is the first held after the state of emergency, with the street block in police. In both cities the actions of women came to the fore. In Diyarbakir women held a massive 8 March ... The Socialist Equality women's organization was in the streets of Ankara, Istanbul and Denizli. Like all years, Equality participated in marches with the slogan 'women do the revolution, not dinner!'And he called the workers to face the increasing exploitation. "

feminist claim in Russia

In Russia, misogynistic and homophobic under the Putin government, the average wage for women is a 28% less than male and there are 3.000 femicide per year. In Moscow and other cities there were small concentrations. The companions of the Russian Socialist Movement (RSD) pose: "The ruling regime ignores sexist men rich demands of women. Actual changes in the position of Russian women are possible only if there is a radical change in the system of government and the public atmosphere in the country, in the direction of democracy and social equality. Feminism must become not only cultural or human rights, if not, especially, in a political and social movement ".
In Latin America feminist tide was strong and again demonstrated a power of mobilization and radicalization that exceeded expectations.

Chile It was perhaps the highest point, as reflected by our colleagues of the anticapitalist and Boards Movement and the Left: "The 8M in the streets of Santiago mobilized near 400 thousand people while national figures were doubled ... It was one of the most massive marches towards dictatorship and forced the government acrobatics discursivas. While, Program Coordinator 8M Feminist shored up the opportunity to discuss claims against the central pillars of the regime: a new social security recognize unpaid work and labor rights, reproductive and care, between a specification 10 points. That is to say, remove the imaginary that politics is only possible in neoliberal frameworks, as it adapted the institutional left " (PC, CUT, Frente Amplio).

 

Argentina also he stated clearly that remains a mainstay of feminist wave and dissident. In Buenos Aires, nail 300 thousand people marched from Congress to Plaza de Mayo, Overflowing the union bureaucracy and Peronism. They tried to dilute the struggle for legal abortion, They did not call the general strike and boycotted expenses unitary act, fulfilling Cristina Kirchner's policy of capitulating to anti-rights sectors. Seals and Left-MST nationwide played a key role in feminist coordinations, with the rest of the Trotskyist left, and he contributed to the marches nourished columns that hundreds of young independent joined.

Brazil also it had its mass actions the 8M, where figure Marielle Franco highlighted, murdered a year ago. Our compañeres Socialist Alternative, Current in the PSOL, who participated in the marches in several cities, claim: "We propose the creation of an independent commission to investigate the execution of Marielle, It composed of specialists, class entities and national defense of human rights and international, and social movements. Only mass mobilization can promote the necessary pressure for the crime is solved and the real culprits accountable. In that sense, consider completely wrong the position of the national leadership of PSOL and various provincial departments and municipal tributes preferred to make only symbolic and artistic shows instead of building a march demanding justice ".

In Paraguay thousands of women were mobilized in Asuncion and other cities. As they expressed our fellow Socialist Alternative, the goal is to "strive for greater visibility in the media and elsewhere about the state of national emergency by violence against women".
Feminists massive demonstrations also took place in Uruguay, Colombia, Bolivia and Mexico.
anticapitalist feminism to turn around

 

A first conclusion that we share from Anticapitalists Network is that, even with unequal rhythms from country to country, the global feminist wave continues and strengthens, more openly questioning the institutions and the reformist leaderships who defend the capitalist and patriarchal system. The undisputed vanguard of the movement are young. To curb this potential anti liberal feminism acts, current is disguised under different labels: popular feminism, radical, autonomous or union. Either by way of lowering the program demands or anti-party positions, anti-male and even biologicista, They are an obstacle to deflect the feminist rise.

However, The second fundamental conclusion of this 8M is that the devices are weakest, the crisis and polarization left lower margins for centrist positions, which added to the radicality of the wave opens up an excellent opportunity to advance the construction of revolutionary organizations. That is to say, we have better conditions to intervene in the process with an anti-capitalist program and class, and in this way win for our ranks some of that youthful dissident feminist vanguard advances to understand the need for anti-system strategy, internationalist, revolutionary, socialist.

Anticapitalist Network

reproduced from Anticapitalist Network

18.3.2019