Women’s Fightback is a paper produced by women in the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty. We hope it stimulates debate, but whether you agree or disagree please get in touch, and contribute articles, reviews and letters to this paper. Here is a brief explanation of who we are and what we stand for.
Who we are
We need to revive the women’s movement in the UK, Europe and world wide. That movement needs to be able to inspire the many young people who want to fight sexism, but who may not call themselves “feminist”.
What kind of feminists are we? We stand for a socialist feminism. We believe women’s oppression is part of class society in general and capitalism in particular. It is an integral part of the system of profit and exploitation. We need to replace capitalism with something better — a classless, socialist society.
But the fight against women’s oppression is not something to be put off until the socialist future.
We believe that there can be no revitalised working-class movement without women organising and asserting their rights. We also believe there can be no effective women’s movement without connections into and leverage in the labour movement.
There have many inspiring examples of working-class women organising to change conditions for themselves, to change the shape of the labour movement and to change the world — from the German socialist women’s movement of the 19th century and the working class women’s suffrage movement led by Sylvia Pankhurst, to Women Against Pit Closures, the Gate Gourmet workers and the Organisation for Women’s Freedom in Iraq.
What we stand for
• Tax the rich! Rebuild the welfare state — cuts, closures and privatisations often affect women most acutely.
• Against sexism in the labour movement — the demands of women workers should be central to trade union struggles.
• For free, good quality childcare.
• For legal safe abortion on request. Against any winding back of abortion rights.
• Against religious fundamentalisms. No repression and persecution of women in the name of religion!
• For free movement of workers and refugees world wide — no borders!
• For sexual freedom and liberation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
• Against sexism in our schools, colleges and workplaces.
• Against all forms of violence against women: sexual harassment, rape, domestic violence. Increase public funds to provide adequate support services for women.
• For solidarity with women workers world wide; against sweatshop labour.
• Against sexist images, against censorship.
Women’s Fightback, PO Box 823, London, SE15 4NA
