The Workers Solidarity Alliance honors these women, as well as countless others in every corner of the world, generation after generation, who rise up against inequality, oppression and domination. We honor their struggles and sacrifices they made.
On March 8, 1908, thousands of women left their jobs in the sweatshops of New York City’s Lower East Side and took to the streets to demand their
rights
as women and workers. In 1917, their sisters in Russia followed suit, and helped to bring about the revolution that overthrew the Tsarist autocracy.
And
in Spain in 1936 the anarchist women of Mujeres Libres helped to free
their
sisters from century’s old oppression.
In more recent times, women played a key role in the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. In 1990’s and into the
21st
century, women workers are in the forefront of the struggle against
reintroduced
sweatshop conditions in many industries and services. In its brief existence, this movement has already won important victories, both against
the
institutions of power in our society as well as against the more diffuse
system of
oppression that pervades the personal relationships of women.
Still their dream of freedom and equality and peace for all people is far from reality. Everyday, women must still confront sexism in their personal relationships as well as sexual harassment and violence on the job, in the streets and at home. Millions of women workers are still ruthlessly
exploited. The
right-wing and religious fanatics threaten women’s right to control their
own
bodies.
The roots of sexism and all oppressive relationships are buried deep in the principle of hierarchy, authority and militarism. These principles are the basis for every modern state and established socio-economic system. Faced
with
overwhelming system of oppression, we must begin to fight back and take control of our own lives. We can begin by organizing with our sisters and
brothers
in our communities, our schools, and our workplaces.
We strive for a society in which one person or group of people do not dominate or exploit another. In such a society there would be no basis for
sexual
oppression, domination or class exploitation. This would be so because the institutions of power the nation-state and capitalism would be replaced by
a
world-wide system of grassroots empowerment and self-management of all
facets of
social and economic life.
Join us in helping to build this new world of freedom and self-management.
Workers Solidarity Alliance
National Office
339 Lafayette Street – Room 202
New York, New York 10012
212-979-8353 wsan@hotmail.com
www.workersolidarity.org
Par : rr.ii.
