nyhetsbrev13bu28
Printed: tisdag 23 juli 2002 21.00.04
>The network Women towards a Different Europe maintains
that there are
alternative policies to be pursued Come and talk to women's
groups from all over Europe, united in the network of Women
towards a Different Europe, for action in Europe
now.
>Women towards a Different Europe say:
>
>· We believe that the militarisation of Europe,
including arms production and trade, are already
preparations for the new war and should end immediately. We
see a continuum from domestic violence against women to
violence between nations. We demand an end to militarisation
of Europe and an end to all
violence against women.
>· The focus of the EU's employment policies are
exclusively on paid work. From a women's perspective, this
is a very limited view of work, the economy and social
relation s. Unpaid work such a as care of children, care of
the
household, and volunteer community work is not taken into
account. We demand that all men take responsibility and that
we move towards redistribution of all unpaid work.
>
>· Social security and welfare is under attack as
governments are carrying out cutbacks to meet the criteria
for the Economic and Monetary Union(EMU). The rate of
poverty is rising all over Europe and the majority of the
poor are
women. Especially elderly women. Women are MADE poor.
Instead of attacking
poverty, our governments and the EU are attacking the poor.
We demand an end to all cut backs on social security and a
rebuilding of collective social
securrty in Europe.
>
>· European economic integration has far reaching
effects on women's access to paid work and the quality of
paid work. The economy and the labour market
are being re-structured, everywhere in the world, also in
Europe. The EU and our governments, in line with the wishes
of large international companies,
actively pursue a policy of deregulation, free reign for
multinationals,
automation and higher demands on and less protection for
workers, male and
female. Economic security is eroding and discriminated
groups in the labour market, especially women and ethnic
minorities, find it increasingly
difficult to secure good quality jobs. Women are
over-represented in
flexible work, temporary work and piecework in the home;
jobs which often
have poor working conditions, low salaries and little
security. We demand
economic independence for women and secure and good quality
paid work for
women, with a living wage.
>
>· All over Europe, cut backs continue in public
services and collective
provisions such as health care, education and public
transport. These
cutbacks often shape up as privatisation. The end result is
that control
over these services move from the hands of the many into the
hands of the
few and prices increase dramatically. Women suffer both as
workers(laid off as teachers, nurses, government employees
and/or re-employed under worse
conditions) and as users of these services. We demand
democratically
controlled social services.
poorly regulated: all over Europe the right to abortion is
under attack
and/or access made more difficult. Conservatism is
rising.Due to decreasing birth rates and longer life
expectancies in Europe, there is renewed
discussion over the economic necessity for population
policies, a subject
which is often accompanied by racial undertones. Both
developments threaten women's rights. We demand and will
remain struggling for all women' right to self-determination
over our bodies, our sexuality and fertility.
Gender based persecution, arranged marriages, compulsory
abortions, forced
pregnancy and genital mutilation are not ground for asylum
in any country in Europe. We are challenging the policies
and (racist and sexist)fears
underlying the building of fortress Europe. We demand an end
to the Schengen agreement and similar policies. We demand
social and democratic rights for