Brianna Ghey, Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa, Nicole Smallman, Bibaa Henry – say their names!
These are just a few of the most well-known recent victims of the gender violence pandemic. Every year, hundreds of women and gender non-conforming people are killed by misogynistic and LGBTQ-phobic violence in the UK alone. Every day, thousands face abuse from intimate partners or harassment from strangers on the street or bosses in the workplace.
Capitalist institutions will never protect us. Rape conviction rates, already shockingly low, are falling further, partly under the weight of cuts in the justice system. It’s no surprise when reports have shown thousands of police officers themselves are abusers of women.
The Tories claim to want to defend women and children from the ‘wokerati’ as a justification for their assault on trans rights. But they refuse to pay public sector workers (who provide services desperately needed by women and children) a wage they can live on. They couldn’t care less about us.
The system is to blame!
Their system is in crisis on all fronts, and as always their response is to attempt to turn the blame on the most marginalised and oppressed in an attempt to distract from the cost of living, climate change and Tory in-fighting.
From the moral panic about trans people’s participation in sport, to vile racism against refugees, to the archaic prosecution of people seeking abortions outside of Britain’s outdated laws, it is disproportionately women and gender non-conforming people paying the price with our lives and our right to bodily autonomy.
But the right’s offensive isn’t going unchallenged. Their culture war is a response to the huge radicalisation of young and working class people around the world in recent years against all forms of oppression. We have seen huge feminist waves – some have won significant victories like the right to abortion. Here in Britain there have been sizeable protest waves, for example after the murders of Sarah Everard and Brianna Ghey.
Socialist Feminist Alternative believes that the feminist and workers’ movements urgently need to go on the offensive – organising protests not only in response to immediate outrages but fighting for the type of change needed to end gender violence once and for all.
Socialist Feminist Alternative says
- Organise against this violent system!
Build protests and walkouts at every opportunity against gender violence, harassment and abuse. Form coalitions to build for mass protests on 25 November and beyond.
- Make our schools safe places for all.
Solidarity between students and teachers to fight the new Tory gender guidance. Protest sexist, racist and anti-trans uniform policies. For fully funded LGBTQ+ inclusive sex and relationships education as part of a curriculum developed democratically by education unions, students and communities. Kick the capitalist market out of education!
- Trans-inclusive healthcare now as part of a fully-funded, publicly owned NHS.
End the crisis of waiting lists for gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and mental health services. Support health workers fighting to defend our health service!
- Resources and support for all survivors of abuse.
Reopen all refuges and invest to expand spaces, including with specialist services for migrants and LGBTQ+ survivors. A mass programme of council house-building to meet need and offer an escape route for those who need it.
- A socialist alternative to the violence and oppression of capitalism!
For an international, socialist feminist struggle against capitalism – an inherently oppressive and exploitative system – and for a world free from misogyny, homophobia and transphobia, where everyone is able to live safely, freely and with true liberation.
