International Socialist League
In 2022 sexism, violence and abuse continues to rise and blight and control the lives of women without any possibility of going away. And the reality of Black women’s experiences means that they experience oppression, abuse and violence simultaneously through both sexism and racism.
Since the pandemic there has been a huge increase in the number of calls to domestic abuse helplines in the UK. Every year between two and three women are murdered by their partners or ex-partners. A worldwide survey (pre-pandemic), reported in the Lancet, found that one in four women (aged 15 – 49 years) worldwide have experienced domestic violence from intimate male partners.
In the UK, in year to March 2020, there was a sharp rise in reported cases of rape to the police with 58,856 reported however there were just 3,043 prosecutions. The dramatic decrease in the number of rape prosecutions has been described as the decriminalisation of rape.
Of course the actual number of incidents is much higher due to distrust of police in reporting, fear, ineffective responses and lack of appropriate and effective support services.
Institutional State Racism, Misogyny and Homophobia
Despite claims from the state police to the contrary it is clear that the Police Service is institutionally racist and institutionally misogynistic. The abuse of powers using racist, homophobic and misogynistic language and attitudes have been revealed as commonly used in the Met and other police forces across the country. The Sarah Everard brutally planned murder by a Metropolitan police officer; the treatment and forceful disruption by police and arrests of women on a peaceful vigil for Sarah Everard; the police’s initial appalling response to reports of missing later found murdered sisters. Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry; later for police officers disrespectfully sharing selfies next two sisters’ bodies; the racist and sexist and messages shared between officers from Charing Cross police station. The police are an essential and important part of the capitalist state, they are a repressive force used to defend the interests of capitalism, and maintain a system that needs divisions in the working class in order that the ruling class and elite continue to maintain power.
People in public facing jobs have been at greater risk of Covid infection and dying, and developing Long Covid. Of the 3.2 million high risk jobs, 2.5 million are women; 89% of nurses are women and 84% of care workers are women. Black, Asian and minority ethnic healthcare workers make up 25% NHS staff.
Death from Covid was disproportionately higher amongst Black people than White people, and Black people also suffer higher rates of Long Covid.
In these jobs, pay is low and the working conditions harsh with many of the workers having no access to sick pay, despite contacting illness as a consequence of their healthcare work.
This disproportionate impact is linked to socio economic factors in the Black communities.
That is, structural inequalities and racism are intensified by Covid leaving Black communities and women at even greater risk of poverty and deprivation.
Government sound-bites ‘praising‘ NHS workers is in sharp contradiction to the way the treat NHS workers with poor pay and conditions, and its cuts and privatisation plans for the NHS.
Attacks on the NHS are an attack on women workers who are bearing the brunt of all cuts and poor working conditions.
Sexism (like racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and transphobia) does not exist in a vacuum, it is a mechanism to divide the working class. So it is crucial for women to organise alongside the men, with all of the working class, together in the construction of a revolutionary alternative that will end all forms of oppression and exploitation!
‘As members of the party, women workers are fighting for the common class cause, while at the same time outlining and putting forward those needs and demands that most nearly affect themselves as women, housewives and mothers. The party supports these demands and fights for them… The requirements of working women are part and parcel of the common workers’ cause!’ A. Kollontai, ‘Women’s Day’ February 1913.
Only a socialist world will provide the tools to rid the world of sexism and racism and homophobia.
As a revolutionary organisation we adhere to the strictest moral standards in our organisation and our fight against all oppression. Ending sexism, one of the most powerful tools of class division, must be present at every step in the building of a socialist society.
- To advance the cause of women’s struggles and thus the cause of the working class, we demand:
- Fully funded domestic violence support and services
- Fully funded Rape Crisis centres
- Immediate action and legislation to force all companies to pay equal pay for equal work.
- The complete rebuilding of the social security system, moving away from control and punishment. A system ensuring income for everyone
- For a complete and total end of all austerity measures, and the restoration of funding to council services. To include rethinking how council funding. Council tax is regressive and negatively affects the poorest of society – often women.
- For a fully funded NHS provided free at the point of use and need.
- For a program of socialisation of unpaid work (housework, child raising and looking after relatives etc.). Public laundry, food services, child-care and schooling services, should be provided – decent employment pay and conditions to workers who perform these tasks.
- For a complete overhaul of UK’s antiquated divorce laws which can lead to pain, conflict and suffering for those involved.
- For the reinstatement and expansion of legal aid for all in need. Women are often paid less or unable to work due to child care or elderly care responsibilities, thus face disadvantage when interacting with the legal system.
- For an end to the racist, sexist and discriminatory immigration system and hostile environment. End all immigration controls with a policy that will end ‘no recourse to public funds’, and establish a system that welcomes people to settle in the UK – No One Is Illegal.
