Global women's strike targets big business

Off Our Backs, May/Jun 2002 by Gowens, Pat

Argentina: Housewives Union Strike

The Housewives Union in Argentina held daily women's assemblies in the poorest neighborhoods as part of the popular uprising. Their leaflet gave out Global Women's Strike information as well as demands to deal with the Argentinian economic crisis.

London Whistle Stop Tour

London's International Wages for Housework group also used pots and pans to protest, and brooms to "sweep out the global killers." They went to Shell Ministry of Defense, Institute of Directors, and the World Bank.

Dykes on Strike had a contingent. Rhythms of Resistance drummed and danced. Women psychiatric survivors protested outside a psychiatric hospital and joined the march at Shell. Women from several religious faiths held a prayer vigil in front of the Ministry of Defense and joined the tour when it reached them. A busload of students participated.

Philadelphia Women Follow the Money Trail

The Philadelphia International Wages for Housework Campaign organized a Strike Bus which stopped for pots and pans protests at Solomon Smith Barney and Citigroup (money launderers in Argentina and loan sharks in Philly); Philadelphia Workforce Development (profiteers off of welfare mothers); Glaxo Smith Kline (global drug pushers), L3 Communications (defense contractors) in Camden New Jersey, and Monsanto Superfund Site (poisoners of food and land) in Camden.

Los Angeles Women Call out the Thieves

Los Angeles activists held a march through the city, stopping at the Bank of America, the DPSS welfare office, the Social Security Office, the Housing Authority, the Mexican Consulate, the Rampart Police Center and McDonald's. They had puppets, musical instruments an pots and pans protests. They stopped at each site to "escrache" or call out the thieves and to make their demands. In the evening they had a celebration of the contributions, work, and lives of all women with music and food at the Alexandria Hours, a women's longterm shelter.

New York: March Against Sweatshops

The Global Sweatshops Coalition held their march on March 9 as a part of the Global Women's Strike. Vamos a la Peru in the Bronx hosted a Strike event on March 9 with food, speakers and entertainment.

San Francisco March Against Warmongering and Corporate Thievery

San Francisco women marched and had "cacerolazos" from the Welfare Department to the Federal Building against warmongering and corporate thievery. Moms cut off welfare were able to speak against the resulting violence and criminal ization. They were joined by women from the Immokalee farm workers in Florida who are asking that we boycott Taco Bell for their refusal to meet with them to pressure farm corporations to raise their pay. They currently earn 40 cents for picking 32 pounds of tomatoes.

Women in Spain Demand Unwaged Work Be Measured and Valued

The Wages for Housework Campaign in Barcelona again coordinated the Strike in Spain, which included older, immigrant and lesbian women, housewives, domestic workers and mothers. They occupied Main Plaza San Jaime from midday to midnight and held a press conference to speak out against overwork and poverty. Demands included welfare benefits at the European level for all women, including immigrant women, and for the government to implement the 2000 law to measure and value unwaged work. In the region Alcoia Comtat y Muro, women dressed up as Mothers of the Disappeared from Argentina, with signs demanding "Invest in Caring, Not Killing," and pensions for their lifetime's work.