Women, stop working!

From New Internationalist Easier English Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Women: stop working!

The strike on 8th March is a different way of making women more powerful writes Lola Olufemi.

32449515366_7d6ce7db41_o.jpg

Minnesota Women's March/Credit: Fibonacci Blue, Flickr

Across the world, many women refuse to work on 8 March. This is to make people think about how important women are in our social and economic lives.

This kind of action is very important now because neoliberal models of feminism are so popular.

Many feminist groups in the UK support the strike, including Sisters Uncut, Feminist Fightback, The English Collective of Prostitutes, SWARM and Brazilian Women against Fascism. They agree we need to fight against the system.

Across the world people expect women to do unpaid work with children, cleaning, buying and cooking. If this stops, it shows us that capitalism depends on women’s unpaid work to function. We can imagine other possibilities. So this kind of activism could change society.

In London, the strike will include marches, workshops, parties, child-care spaces for mothers, protests against austerity and anti-fascism. One focus is on violence to women, for example to sex workers.

A feminist future could make the world better for all people. The Women’s Strike can make men think how important women are. Women’s work is often invisible, for example caring, listening, smiling and supporting. The strike says that an important revolution is coming. But there are many women who cannot afford to strike.

Many women are exploited ,and the Women’s Strike is a space to come together and think about how to change this.

NOW READ THE ORIGINAL: https://newint.org/features/2019/03/07/women-stop-working

(This article has been simplified so the words, text structure and quotes may have been changed)