for their rights on
International women's
Women fight
Womens Day
Penny DUGGAN International Womens Day 1983 came at a time when women throughout Europe are facing assaults on their democratic rights and standards of living The austerity offensive of the ruling class, the ideological attacks on women's hard won rights to work; to choose when and whether to have children; the ever present threat of nuclear war - particularly this year when American nuclear missiles are scheduled to be stationed in Europe - have provoked women to respond, although the exact focus varies from country to country.
In Belgium women from the trade unions and the women's movement once again mobilised under the slogan Women against the Crisis', building on the success they have achieved over the last two years in uniting different layers of women in a common response to the attacks they face from the austerity offensive. For the first time in Luxembourg there was a united women's demonstration to mark the occasion, under the slogan 'Women against austerity'
In Italy the women's movement feels itself strengthened by the tremendous response to the demonstration that took place in Rome at the end of January, in response to the defeat of a proposal to remove the anti-rape laws from the category of a crime against morality to a crime against the person. Some 50,000 women assembled at short notice to protest this.
For March 8 there were demonstrations in Milan, Rome, Venice, and Bologna. An important aspect was the involvement of young high school students in Rome and Milan who had their own demonstrations. Demonstrations Rome assembled 50,000 women. The demonstration which involved the women's movement and trade unions throughout the country took up both the question of sexual violence and the effects of the economic crisis on women.
At Comiso, the proposed site of Cruise missiles women demonstrated for disarmament.
In Holland a number of local demonstrations took up the themes of the effects of the economic crisis on wo-
In France the minister for women's rights is organising a week-long series of debates, exhibitions and theatre to celebrate the event - featuring among other things the launch of a new stamp, first in a series commemorating women. Many French women feel they have little to celebrate under the Mitterrand government, despite its recent fulfillment of its promise to introduce state reimbursement for abortion. The austerity policies of the government, as else where in Europe are hitting
The CGT, CP-led union federation, called for four hours time off with pay for women; and the CFDT is organised its own internal gathering. groups are in Paris and in other cities organised demonstrations.
For German women the results of the federal election on March 6 were of major significance. Not only is the new Christian Democratic Union/Christian
Union planning to introduce legislation to stop state funding of abortion (see IV No.25) but it will be stepping up the ideological campaign to convince women to return to their traditional role within the family. The new Chancellor Kohl has been
"The family is love, consideration of others, and willingness to sacrifice? In other words women will be asked to take over caring for the sick, elderly, and more responsibility for childcare. And the 'tender power of the family' is based on mothers' according to Nor-
Some 6,000 women demonstrated against the proposal on abortion in Karlsruhe on February 26. week of March 8 local actions will take up the themes of unemployment, peace,
In Dublin several hundred women deagainst the proposal to constitution abortion.
In Spain the right to abortion is also the major focus of mobilisation, along with the right to employment. The right wing right-to-lifers had a demonstration of 150,000 on March 5. The women's movement responded around March 8 with debates, exhibitions and other activities as well as demonstrations. The campaign for women's abortion rights has received important support from delegates of the Workers Commissions in Barcelona who have adopted a resolution supporting women's right to decide whether to have abortions, and for these to be paid for by the state. This resolution has been supported by other organisations such as
In Britain the dominant theme of the events planned around March 8 was the question of peace and opposition to nuclear weapons. The women from the Greenham Common camp - who have been protesting for over a year at the proposal to site American Cruise missiles at this base - were invited to meetings and demonstrations up and down the country to explain why they think it is important for women to join the movement against nuclear missiles.
On this theme an international women's demonstration took place in Brussels on March 8, demanding an end to the arms race.
The celebration of International Women's Day was decided by the International Conference of Working Women in 1910 to commemorate and celebrate the struggles of women workers. The date was fixed at March 8 in 1913 to commemorate an important strike of women textile workers i in New York that had taken place in the 1880s. One hundred years later women workers all over the world are still using the opportunity of International Women's Day to highlight their demands for their rights that are still continually under attack.