The 25th of November, the international day against violence against women 2019, was a strong and powerful expression of the worldwide struggle against women murders, violence against women, patriarchy and imperialism. In various countries hundreds of thousands of women took to the streets to show their demands and interest against the increasing oppression and exploitation of women.
The majority of women in the world is living in oppressed countries, where patriarchy and therefore also violence against women is even harder. This found its expression in the also militant and dedicated protests in those countries. Especially those countries, where the people‘s movement and class struggle is reaching new peaks at the moment, also the protest of women on the 25th of November was especially strong. The protests also showed lively that violence against women is not an individual question, but it is an harsh instrument of the ruling classes to maintain the oppressed and exploited position of women in the capitalist/imperialist world system. Because of that especially those forces and movements who already take up the struggle against the root of the violence, against patriarchy and imperialism and for the proletarian revolution, have to be supported. The class conscious women‘s movement, as part of the revolutionary and communist movement has to organize the struggle of the women and lead it as a strong force against exploitation and oppression.
In Latin America ten thousands of women took to the streets. In Mexico women also burned facilities and there were clashes with police. The protesters mainly struggled against the rising numbers of rapes and femicides and that the government does not do anything against it. Also in Puerto Rico and Paraguay there were big demonstrations. We should not forget that women are a strong part of the peoples uprisings in Colombia and Chile, which show with all their strength the justified struggle for the interests of the people.
Puerto Rico / Paraguay
In Africa there were also demonstrations, even if the tradition of 25th of November is not that big on the African continent. In South Africa protests against violence against women continue since two months. In Sudan there was the first protest on the International day against violence against women since decades and it is product of the people‘s movement which struggles since nearly one year against the government and the bad social conditions of the people. Women of the people‘s movement were highly effected by the repression of the government and they struggled against repression and for the freedom of the political prisoners. It is clear, that the struggle in Sudan is not isolated from imperialist interests and imperialist war, if we look at the imperialist war in the northern region Darfur and also the forceful split of the country in „South-Sudan“ and Sudan, mainly by US-Imperialism. The imperialist aggression aggravated the crisis in Sudan a lot and must therefore be also addressed by the women‘s struggle.
Also in Europe and also in the oppressed countries in Europe like Croatia and partly also Turkey there were forceful demonstrations on the occation struggle against the wrong positions to split the women‘s movement from class struggle. In Turkey the demonstrations were forbidden by the government and women were detained before the demonstrations for spreading leaflets. But despite the ban of the demonstration and the repression many even though took to the street and defended their struggle against the police aggression. In Croatia there were before 25th of November thousands in different cities on the streets, to protest against rape and violence against girls and women, after the perpetraitors of a gang rape of a 15-year old girl in the city of Zadar, didn‘t get punished. In France and Italy there were 100.000s on the streets and in Paris huge parts of the cities were blocked. Also in Belgium 10.000 women went to the street against violence against women. In Austria there were two demonstrations in Vienna and Innsbruck and especially the revolutionary and communist women gave the demonstrations a struggling and lively character. They put in the forefront the necessity of a program of the women, to unite in the struggel for their interests and to develop the struggle against Patriarchy and Capital. Also in Germany there were demonstrations and the revolutionary forces took up the slogan "Don't be sad, fight back". As well in Switzerland the slogans against patriarchy and imperialism were spread on the demonstration.
The worldwide struggle against violence against women, against Patriarchy and Imperialism, is rising. The women‘s movement is in its upswing on an international level. That is product of the more and more deepending exploitation and oppression and that the class-conscious struggle of the proletariat and the oppressed people is being developed. The women‘s movement is part of this struggle and an important force driving it forward. The revolutionary and class-conscious forces have to develop it and struggle against the wrong positions to split the women‘s movement from class struggle.
We will continue this report also with prestenting forces of Asia and the womens movement there on this day.