On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the CPI stands in unwavering solidarity with the women and children of Gaza, who courageously endure the harrowing reality of state-orchestrated oppression. Palestinian women find themselves at the forefront of a relentless genocide. They witness the very people they care for succumb to inhumane circumstances – hospitals are wrecked, schools are bombed, and basic things like food and water are scarce. In that horror, women are tragically the primary casualties, used as instruments to propagate fear. Our solidarity extends boundlessly to them and the entirety of the Palestinian resistance.
We also extend our support to the women of Argentina, who face the jeopardisation of their fundamental right to a safe and legal abortion following the ascent of the far-right liberal Milei to power.
We stand in solidarity with the women of The Netherlands who, after the rise of far-right parties in last week’s elections, see their reproductive rights threatened. Their calls for safety are abused to attack racial, sexual, and religious minorities.
Fascists always hurt women, and it’s upsetting to see them used as an excuse for racism in recent Dublin riots. They claim to protect Irish women and kids, but they’re really spreading fear and distrust within working-class communities, when solidarity is what’s needed. Refugee women fleeing war and poverty to seek refuge in Ireland deserve protection. We don’t need to be protected by the far-right, but from them.
Discussing violence against women and the surge of fascism requires addressing their shared roots: capitalism. Capitalism thrives on the exploitation of women — relying on their unpaid caregiving roles within families and workplaces, rendering them more susceptible to exploitation.
It seeks to perpetuate division within the working-class, using fascism as a tool to break our unity. The more divided we are, the less likely we are to stand collectively against a system that capitalises on our suffering. Blaming foreigners distracts us from holding the bourgeoisie accountable for profiting at the expense of our labour.
Systemic violence against women is strategically engineered to dominate working women, perpetuating their exploitation and oppression. It’s created to exploit and oppress them, so they work and care for free. So they’re the first one to starve when capitalists and imperialist regimes block access to essential resources. This system spreads racism, amplifying the burden of migrants and women, even more so for migrant women that endure double or triple oppression, unable to break free from the cycle of exploitation.
Together, as part of the Communist Party of Ireland, we affirm our commitment to dismantling these oppressive structures, advocating for the liberation of all working-class women from the chains of exploitation, and fostering solidarity among working-class communities in our collective fight for emancipation.
Ní saoirse go saoirse na mban!
