International Scene

Time has Come for a New Awakening of the International Women’s Movement !
Onward together to the World Women’s Conference of rank-and-file women in Venezuela in 2011 !

Millions of women in the entire world are taking their future into their own hands and taking action for their economic, social, cultural and political rights. We women are organizing ourselves and fighting together – some still alone by themselves. We women have always been constantly forced to fight for our emancipation and against adverse circumstances.
Today humankind needs this commitment of the women in the entire world – the working, unemployed and exploited women and those who are discriminated - in order to march forward towards a future of solidarity, equality and happiness. On all continents we women are suffering in particular under exploitation and the crises of the capitalist system. Millions of people in Africa, Asia, America, Oceania and Europe are starving. They have no access to education, health care, housing, work, social welfare, recreation – in short: to a life in dignity).
The immense changes during the last years have not brought about any solution to the existential problems faced by the great majority of people. On the contrary, they have been used to concentrate wealth and power in a few hands. The contradictions of capitalism have intensified. The expansion of the big monopolies into all corners of the world mean intensified exploitation of the working people and subjugation of the overwhelming majority of countries and peoples. The scientific-technological advance, which arises from the creative power of the working people, only serves the competition of the imperialist powers for markets, as well as for political and military predominance. More and more evidently, the imperialist countries take possession of regions which are rich in natural resources and which are of strategic importance. They do not hesitate to incite conflicts, invade nations and instigate wars among the peoples. They are also responsible for the great damages to the environment and environmental destruction. All this reveals the rapacious character of imperialism.
Millions of women on all continents directly experience poverty, unemployment, work for minimal wages and with a minimum of protective rights. They are suffering from wars or are being driven massively into migration. Drinking water, clear air, all-round public health care, education, housing and possibilities for leisure activities are often lacking. The overwhelming majority of women is suffering from the double exploitation and oppression by capitalism, because they are part of the working classes and, at the same time, are being discriminated merely on grounds of their gender! Broad masses of people are being oppressed, because they are living in dependent countries and belong to subjugated peoples and cultures.
Imperialism promotes abnormal forms of violence against women, children and young people. Sex trade, pornography and trade with human organs are a lucrative business. This shows how little human life is worth in this system.
Two billion children, the future of this world, are mostly looked after and raised by women. In the entire world, we women cannot freely determine over our bodies and our sexuality: sexual abuse, patriarchal laws and traditions, as well as fashion trends and clichés, which the prevailing culture is spreading, are having direct adverse effects on our lives. The modern media of communication promote prostitution, pornography and perversion.
Today the world is experiencing an upswing in the struggle of the workers against capitalist exploitation, an upswing in the struggles of many countries and peoples for their liberation and independence. Countries are rebelling against dependence and neo-colonialism. The world women’s movement is alive and is struggling for its demands. In most countries it joins forces with the working class movements, the people’s and liberation movements.
The world women’s movement has learned that a general line of the women’s movement that is exclusively based on the battle of the sexes does not bring about a solution, just as little as the integration into the state apparatus. This also applies to the activities of so-called non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which are financed by reactionary political parties, foundations, churches or other international organizations in the centers of power. On the contrary, these strategies have contributed to the fragmentation and disorientation of the women’s movements. Currently the consciousness among the masses of women is developing that the equality of women cannot be achieved alone by means of a formal legal equality. There is a growing awareness of the necessity for a worldwide exchange of experience, collaboration, stimulation of common actions of solidarity. There is a growing awareness that it is necessary to struggle for the liberation of women in a world completely liberated from exploitation and oppression.
In the entire world, the preconditions for the liberation of women and all of humankind are developing: for the complete satisfaction of the material and mental needs of women and men, for a social life that guarantees work, health care, education and prosperity for all. However, the immense wealth which today is created through the efforts of millions of working people, only serves to satisfy the capitalist greed for profit up to now.
For this reason we say that the time is ripe to go forward and again take up the struggle for the real emancipation of women. It is time to unite our voices and our rebellion, to join forces with the perspective of building a society without exploiters and those exploited. We, the women and men of all continents, want to be the beneficiaries of our own creative power – having respect for the different cultures and peoples, which are all with their history part of one world. We deserve a future in happiness!
We call on all women worldwide who live and struggle in hope of a better world, to participate in the World Women’s Conference of rank-and-file women, which will take place in Venezuela in 2011.
In 2011, we will come together from all corners of the world to take up the legacy of the women who, in 1910, under the leadership of Clara Zetkin had given momentum to the International Women’s Day which was first held in 1911. This paved the way for the great achievements of the female and male workers and all women in the world. In memorable struggles and with great sacrifices, they sowed the seeds for a life in freedom and equality for all women.
We will meet in Venezuela, in this generous country of fighting women and men, which today has become a symbol and signal for the struggle against imperialism, for the defence of the dignity of the oppressed peoples. We will unite in a project of social and political emancipation: rank-and-file women from all continents, women workers, peasant women, migrant women, unemployed women, housewives, women of the indigenous peoples, scientists and artists. All women who are part of the oppressed peoples and cultures, all young people, we all want to be a part of this great wave that is going around the world: for a future with real equality and freedom.

Women of the world!
Let us combine our will in the awakening of the militant world women’s movement!
The liberation of humankind will not be possible without our action!
Let us all advance for the liberation of women in a society without exploitation and oppression!
Mobilize for the participation in the World Women’s Conference in Venezuela in 2011!
Initiative Committee: Women’s Movement “Ana Soto” (Venezuela), Ecuadorian Women’s League for Change (CONFEMEC), Women’s Political Counsel/ Militant Women’s Council, Germany

Caracas, 8th March 2008