Join us on International Women's Day to grieve and to fight for those most affected by sexist and racist violence. We know that our freedom from sexual and domestic violence, from endless wars, our freedom of choice over our bodies, our freedom to be, and to love, depends on the freedom of women globally. Therefore we answer the call from Palestinian feminists to resist our government's collaboration with Israel in the ongoing genocide. We stand in solidarity with all who disrupt the violence of Imperialism - from Bristol to Palestine, West Sahara to Kurdistan, Congo to Sudan - we rise together, united in resistance.

International Women's Day is a time to speak up for women around the world. Join us this year to fight for women most affected by patriarchal injustices, such as rape, murder, war and poverty. Show support for the struggles of women living in countries ruled and exploited by imperialism!

We stand against patriarchy! Patriarchy places men above women, makes power and control over others the norm and fuels violence. These values are at the root of the domination and exploitation we see around the world. It is patriarchy that causes male violence against women and enables one country to exploit another. The harm caused by patriarchy is all over: in Israel's occupation and genocide of Palestine as well as the sexual and domestic abuse faced by women here in Bristol.

Women's fight for liberation thus must expand beyond our borders. We must include women from Bristol to Palestine, from Abya Yala to Kurdistan, Congo to Sudan, Turtle Island to Myanmar, and West Papua to West Sahara. Let's choose to stand in solidarity with women and all people resisting oppression and violence resulting from patriarchy, white supremacy and colonialism. 

Our trans and non-binary sisters, brothers and siblings are part of our struggle. Patriarchy tells us there are just two genders and that they have fixed roles in society. We cannot allow it to stifle all other expressions of gender identity. Patriarchy cannot be given another inch in telling us how we must act, feel and represent ourselves.

We rise together, united in resistance against the exploitation of our bodies, our lands, and our labour. Our collective fight for gender liberation cannot be won without also ending imperialist violence, state repression and capitalist exploitation that affects us all, everywhere. 

We are not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own! 

We grieve together as worldwide, women lose their lives to colonial patriarchal violence everyday.

• We reject the separation of our struggles from women elsewhere when our country funds genocide in Palestine
• In Palestine over 183 women give birth without pain relief everyday
• Companies such as Barclays, Zara, McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks support Israel’s occupation and genocide of Palestine

• We resist, inspired by the Sumud (everyday resistance) practiced by Palestinian women as they remain steadfast despite.
• In Congo sexual violence against women is used as a weapon of colonial war
• The Kurdish women’s movement is under attack from Turkey, supported by the likes of Tui…
• We act in solidarity with Rien sans les Femmes (Nothing without women) who refuse to accept this colonial violence through dismantling the legal system. 
• In Sudan women’s access to land is only mediated through men
• We rebel with Alaa Salah who stands atop a car and leads chants for revolution
• We stand with trans people as Trump tries to erase their existence and rights

We stand together to demand liberation for all

--- --- --- --- --- --- 

Companies supporting Israel's occupation and genocide of Palestine 

H&M has 21 stores in Israel. H&M’s expansion into Israel, particularly in the occupied eastern part of Jerusalem, coincides with Israel’s increasing illegal colonisation efforts. The historical significance of these locations, once inhabited by Palestinian villages, serves as a stark reminder of ongoing displacement and denial of rights.

In October 2023, McDonald’s announced that it had donated thousands of free meals, worth over a million pounds, to Israeli soldiers. McDonald’s Chief Financial Officer, Ian Borden, announced that, within hours, a boycott campaign initiated by pro-Palestinians around the globe against Israel’s barbarism in Gaza had resulted in heavy financial losses. Since then, McDonald’s has lost nearly 6 billion pounds in revenue.

In Dec 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo filed criminal complaints in France and Belgium against subsidiaries of the tech giant Apple, accusing it of using conflict minerals. Acting on behalf of the Congolese government, lawyers have argued that Apple is complicit in crimes committed by armed groups that control some of the mines in the east of DR Congo. Apple has also invested significantly in Israel since 2012, employing at least 2,000 people across three Research and Development Centres. Apple board members include Ronald D Sugar, former chairman and CEO of Northrop Grumman which has long standing ties to Israeli military. Apple employees serving in the IDF receive 100% of their salary while on mandatory duty and Apple matches employee donations to a charity called Friends of the IDF.

There have long been calls for a boycott of Starbucks due to their support of the Israeli military. More recently, Starbucks sued their union, Starbucks Workers United, after they posted a message on social media expressing solidarity with Palestine. Starbucks said it disagreed with the union's statement and sued for trademark infringement. Renewed calls for a boycott of Starbucks followed. 

In 2021, Zara head designer, Vanessa Perilman, said to Palestinian model Qaher Harhash that a post he put up about Israel and Palestine contained lies and added, “Maybe if your people were educated, then they wouldn’t blow up hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza. Israelis don’t teach children to hate nor throw stones at soldiers as your people do.” Perilman remained head designer until April 2024. Palestinians also called for a boycott after Zara's Israeli franchise holder hosted far-right anti-Palestinian Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir for a campaign event. In December 2023, Zara pulled an ad after pro-Palestinians called for a boycott as the video featured mannequins that were missing limbs and statues wrapped in a white shroud, resembling images from Israel’s assault on Gaza. And then in April 2024, Zara chose Israeli model, Sun Mizrahi, for their latest fashion campaign.

Barclays is bankrolling Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians through its financial ties with arms companies that sell weapons to Israel. Research has found that Barclays invests over £2 billion in, and provides financial services worth £6.1 billion to, companies arming Israel. Barclays also has an agreement with Israel to act as a “primary dealer” for its government bonds. This means Barclays helps Israel directly to raise money to fund its crimes against Palestinians.