by ROSA Socialist Feminist Movement, Ireland
From Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa in London, victims of brutal random attacks; to Jennifer Poole in Dublin, care worker and mother whose life was stolen in her own home; to the 11 femicides in the North that have happened since Covid; the pandemic has unveiled the cruelty and systemic nature of gender based violence.
97% women 18-24 have experienced sexual harassment (UN Women UK)
83% alter their plans to avoid being harassed (FRA)
Every day 19 new women and 3 children who had never done so before, sought assistance from domestic violence during 6 months of lockdown (Safe Ireland)
7 a day could not be accommodated in refuges due to chronic government under-resourcing of services (Safe Ireland)
From Gardai cancelling 999 calls; to harassment and sexual violence in the defence forces; to victim blaming in courts; to sexist Whatsapp groups; to the workplace, street and online harassment women, non-binary folk and people of colour experience on a daily basis; to the handing over of the National Maternity Hospital to the Sisters of Charity -- every aspect of the state and culture that perpetuates sexism, misogyny, racism, LGBTQphobia and gender violence must be challenged.
Demonstrate at 6pm @ Spire on 25November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
to call for:
1. Stop blaming victims & call time on all sexism and misogyny!
2. Emergency action by government -- this should start with: immediate trebling of all domestic violence and survivors’ services; Catholic church out of state schools and hospitals; massive roll out of progressive sex education centring consent, challenging misogyny, homophobia and transphobia; fund a major public enquiry organised by feminist, traveller, anti-racist organisations and trade unionists into cancelling of 999 calls, sexism, racism and anti-working class prejudice in the courts, garda and defence forces to begin a massive debate on how democratic control can be exerted over these institutions; build 100,000 public homes, reduce and freeze rents to affordable levels, ban all vulture funds;
3. Trade unions to initiate an urgent campaign of unionisation & struggle for a 15euro minimum wage and dignity at work for all -- an end to precarity, and all workplaces to have zero tolerance to sexual harassment. Members of the defence forces should have the right to join a union and strike against sexual harassment
4. Dropping of the charges against ROSA activists who were fined for safe, socially distanced protests highlighting the shadow pandemic of gender based violence.
Get in touch with us today to take flyers for your college, school or workplace; or to invite in a ROSA organiser to speak on why your colleagues or classmates should support the demonstration.
Socialist Feminism -- our allies are the exploited and oppressed:
The millions who’ve protested, struck and occupied in the NiUnaMenos movement in Latin America calling for abortion rights & an end to femicide
The Netflix workers who walked out in support of their trans siblings against the company’s peddling of transphobia for profit
The 3,500 who went on strike against gender violence in the Mercedes plant in the Basque country in October after the femicide of their beloved colleague, Erika Tavares
The 5,000 indigenous women who marched in Brasilia against Bolsonaro
Help us build a movement to end gender violence -- this starts with getting organised in our schools, colleges and workplaces. ROSA stands for a feminism of struggle, a feminism that’s anti-capitalist, a feminism for solidarity. ROSA North and South will be organising actions for the 25 November as part of similar initiatives by our colleagues in ROSA International Socialist Feminists around the world who are building a working class, fighting, socialist feminist movement. Keep checking rosainternational.org for our statement for 25N 2021 on building a socialist feminist movement against gender violence, capitalism, and all injustice, exploitation and oppression.
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