Now is the time for both women and men across Scotland, the UK, and internationally to take to the streets to demand an end to violence against women and the attitudes that support it.
The cuts which have descended on the public sector fall heavily on women, and aid and abet violence against women in all its forms.
It is likely to be women that are most severely affected by the changes to housing benefit and to working tax credit. It is likely to be women who will pick up the slack as social services are slashed and subsidies for childcare disappear. It is likely to be women who absorb the rising anger of a generation of youth cast aside unable to obtain either employment or further education.
As radial activists, we need to take advantage of all opportunities to put forward a socialist and feminist perspective on violence against women, including all budget cuts. We must make our position clear: capitalism and patriarchy breed violence.
What we are confronting today, in these austerity budgets, is systemic violence that includes poverty, unemployment; and inadequate housing, childcare, mass transit, social services, and access to education and training– all coupled with discrimination and bigotry based on gender, age, sexual preference, and physical appearance and ability.
Massive layoffs and budget cuts are guaranteeing further disintegration of the public sector– a global crisis that is causing an upsurge in the level of all forms of violence against women.
March 8th — International Women’s Day– is our day. It’s our opportunity to come together to speak out for a world where democratic, anti-authoritarian, socialist feminist values and programs enable people to live lives in ways they never will be able to under capitalism and patriarchy.
We join with others to say zero tolerance of the abuse of women. Defend and expand the public sector. Reverse the budget cuts. Tax the rich.
Susan Dorazio
Member of the Industrial Workers of the World, Spirit of Revolt/Archive of Dissent, and the Scottish Peace Network, Glasgow, March 2017
