Yannick Vanonckelen ㅣ Communist Party of Belgium
While the interests of the wealthy and multinational corporations continue to be protected, the Arizona government is imposing measures that worsen the living conditions of the majority of the population. And as is often the case, it is women who pay the heaviest price.
Those affected first include workers in the care, teaching, cleaning and social assistance sectors. It also impacts women in precarious or part-time jobs, single mothers, working-class families, as well as pensioners and future retirees.
The measures that aggravate inequalities include a reduction in the resources allocated to public services, increased pressure on women workers with the extension of careers, a weakening of collective solidarity mechanisms, and the transfer to families of tasks that were previously taken care of collectively. When nurseries lack resources, when care becomes less accessible, and when public services are weakened, it is women who have to compensate with more unpaid domestic and care work.
We refuse to go back. Women’s emancipation is not limited to speeches. It requires strong and accessible public services, true equal pay, decent pensions for all, a reduction in working hours without loss of salary, and massive investments in the care, education and early childhood sectors.
Let’s organize the fightback! Women’s rights have never been granted out of generosity. They were won over by social, trade union and feminist struggles. In the face of the government of Belgium (called “Arizona”) austerity policies, let us oppose solidarity, mobilization and the defense of our social gains. There can be no equality without social justice, and there can be no social justice without collective struggle. Workers, let’s unite to defend our rights and build a society where human needs come before profits. Together, let’s roll back austerity and move towards real equality!
