Solidarity with Women Statement 

As part of Arika’s beliefs and specifically in conjunction with our public programme we want to extend solidarity to women via the following statement. Those most directly affected by a specific oppression are those best placed to develop methods to overcome it. Feminist movements in the UK and globally have suggested a variety of approaches to bring about and end to patriarchy. To further these approaches, we first advocate for:

• Recognition that the social category of women encompasses both great diversity of experience and a basis for true sisterhood
• Recognition that trans women are women
• Recognition that the social category of women meets and merges with other lived experiences such as being non-binary and genderqueer in complex ways
• Recognition that women are subject to a greater amount of physical violence than any other single social group
• Recognition that women and girls are subject to a greater amount of sexual violence than any other single social group
• Recognition that women and girls are systemically disenfranchised from societal power
• Recognition that women’s caring work goes largely unrecompensed
• Recognition that women are consistently economically devalued and impoverished
• Recognition that women and girls are consistently depicted in sexist and demeaning ways via mediums of public communication (e.g. film, advertising, visual art etc.)
• Recognition that public healthcare frequently does not take women’s range of specific needs into account or respect women’s bodily autonomy
• Recognition that patriarchy does not necessarily prevent women from having agency or abusing power over others and that whilst the greatest suffering is experienced by those who are directly oppressed, the oppressor too is damaged
• Recognition that patriarchy places untenable and contradictory demands upon women as women which contributes to a culture of internalised oppression and self-harm
• Recognition that women’s direct and lateral communication on the above areas of concern and many other matters is consistently invisibilised and actively eradicated from public view
• Recognition that a vast expanse of culture, wisdom, art, joy, science and liberating insight has been generated by women
• Recognition that these achievements are sometimes subject to cultural appropriation and commercial exploitation by more dominant social groups

We recognise that the following reforms would reduce suffering and save lives:

• Fully funded and active support for the movement to end violence against women and girls
• Support for all victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse or violence
• Due diligence and investment of resources in investigating crimes against women
• Full radical reform of public sex education to a consent and pleasure based model
• Adequate societal checks against and support for individuals who perpetrate violence against women and girls
• An immediate end to the prison industrial complex to be replaced with more humane ways of collectively preventing acts of violence and abuse of power
• Provision of a universal basic income
• Provision of suitable, safe, healthy accommodation on a universal basis
• Access to free universal healthcare of a high standard with an inbuilt commitment to the support of women’s bodily autonomy
• A societal wide commitment to reproductive justice
• Free provision of high quality nursery and childcare
• Extension of the time periods available for paid maternity/paternity/ primary carer leave from work
• An end to workplace expectations that entail working anti-social and/or long hours
• A process of affirmative action to ensure an equitable involvement of women in societal decision making and cultural processes and educational and employment opportunities
• Affirmative action that involves the support of autonomous organisations/projects/culture/other provisions by and for women
• Active solidarity from other all other social groups with women

The above listed reforms are both critical and yet inherently limited in nature. We are clear that for full liberation of women to come about change on a profound, revolutionary, level is necessary. For such changes to occur would entail the end of patriarchy, white supremacy and capitalism. This would involve collective re-organisation of society on a mass level and equitable redistribution of resources and decision-making powers.

The process of struggling for these changes – both long term and immediate – is complex and takes place in challenging circumstances. We recognise that women are uniquely placed to develop effective strategies and guiding visions around the eradication of their oppression. Our intent is always to be especially mindful of the approaches and ideas recommended by women and people with lived experiences of sexism. However, the process of ending patriarchy (recognising that its effects have accumulated over thousands of years of existence) and creating a society based on principals of respect for people of all genders is inherently a matter of collective responsibility, to which we can all directly contribute.