Women's Voices Against Wars of Aggression and Militarization

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S ALLIANCE – EUROPE

FEBRUARY 16, 2022

The International Women's Alliance – Europe Chapter (IWA- Europe) joins the voices of women calling for an end to wars of aggression and militarization.

For many years, it seemed impossible that war could break out in Europe. But today we are facing a situation with U.S. imperialism continuing to expand the buildup of NATO forces in Eastern Europe, the threat of Russia invading Ukraine and the European Union threatening sanctions. This is an open provocation to Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin is demanding that NATO's eastward expansion be scaled back.

A real information war has been created with the intention of drawing the masses to side with either the US/ EU/ NATO, or Russia. As women fighting for justice, freedom and peace, we do not side with either the US/EU/ NATO or Russia. All of them are pursuing imperialist goals and have made it clear through various theaters of war, such as Afghanistan, eastern Ukraine, Syria and so on.

The reality is that these wars lead to the intensification of the double oppression and decaying social situation of women and children. There are many examples of this. The result of Turkey's war against the Kurdish self-government is that the refugee camps in the Middle East are 80% women and children. In Afghanistan, basic rights have again been abolished for women, and hunger is rampant. In the Philippines, courageous women and men are dying from the bombs dropped in their communities by Duterte's military. In Palestine, the Israeli government confronts women every day with huge and almost insurmountable tasks due to military occupation. And in India and Indian-occupied Kashmir, women and men continue the fight against the Modi fascist regime.

The bashing and stabbing of the imperialists among themselves has absolutely nothing to do with the anti-imperialist struggle of the exploited and oppressed. War is the continuation of imperialist politics. Imperialism means war. Freedom loving women and men must resist imperialist war.

Among the most important factors if war will occur or not, is a massive peace movement. For example, a mass peace movement prevented Germany from participating in the 2003 Iraq war. In the U.S. the peace movement contributed significantly to the demoralization and defeat of U.S. troops in Vietnam. For wars to continue, the decisive factor is if the makers of war can win their own people over to the cause of war and for how long. Strengthening the peace movement is important to resist wars and militarization and to prevent new wars from occurring between global powers.

We call on all freedom loving people to join the anti-war movement to oppose the imminent war in Ukraine by protesting and saying loudly together that we do not support this war in any form.

We call on women to unite against the growing threat of war. We will certainly disagree on many issues. Nevertheless, it is necessary and right that we women raise our voices against wars of aggression and militarization.