The struggle against militarism and war needs a feminist perspective on liberation: war and patriarchal violence are intimately intertwined. The feminist response to this is incite sedition and treason! Incitement against and treason of military logic as a central part of patriarchal and capitalist structures. Anti-militarist positions are only consistent if they challenge patriarchy and this must be expressed in our critiques against war. In addition, patriarchal structures must be challenged and dismantled within our own movements.
Violence does not only exist in military attacks and campaigns, but is a normal state of affairs in patriarchal social structures. Misogynist violence, femicides, rapes and domestic violence are, in terms of their scale, an unspoken war against women. The structures of violence in patriarchy described here are also directed towards people who do not (want to) fit into a gender binary. War and occupation always mean the extreme intensification of patriarchal violence and patterns of domination. The mass rape of women and transwomen as a war strategy runs throughout history. At the same time, rape as a weapon of war can only exist because rape is part of patriarchal everyday life. Without looking at this everyday life and state violence, there is no analysis of war. The Chilean collective Las Tesis summed it up succinctly in their 2019 performance: „It’s the cops, the judges, the state, the president – the oppressive state is a rapist macho man.“ Like wildfire, the feminist outcry, the rage dance spreads as part of the uprising against decades of neoliberal violence and state terror in Chile.
Furthermore, with each military expansion, capitalist societies move closer towards internalised militaristic thinking and action. This is expressed in increasing violence against women, lesbians, intersex, trans, non-binary, asexual and queer folk (Flinta*); but also the exploitation of nature seems more necessary and is thus legitimised – there is now only an either-or, or a for-or-against. As feminists, we stand resolutely against any division into an „us“ and „them“. This division is the prerequisite not only for patriarchal systems, but also for all forms of racism, nationalism, militarisation and war. A feminist perspective of anti-militarist politics connects social and ecological questions, hierachical gender relations, violence against women and queers, and other forms of domination, and makes everyday life a focus of our politics. It is fundamental for us as feminists in Western Europe to take an anti-colonialist perspective. The comfortable day-to-day life in Western Europe is a result of prosperity which is built on the exploitation of colonised countries and peoples.
We intend to make these connections visible – also through our actions.
A current inspiration that we look to is the construction of a liberated society in Rojava/Northeast Syria, where the realisation of this is quite tangible. The self-defence forces YPG and YPJ have defeated the Islamist forces there and are now fighting against the neo-Ottoman great power interests of the Turkish government under president Recep Tayyep Erdogan. Turkey, a member state of NATO, has been waging another brutal war against the Kurdish areas in Syria and northern Iraq since 17 April 2022 – using drone and missile attacks and also with poison gas. Here in Europe, however, there is no social outcry at all and almost no media attention. When Erdogan claims to be defending against the threat of „terrorists“, this is supported by Annalena Baerbock, despite representing her politics as feminist since taking office. Sweden too, is now betraying our Kurdish friends in order not to alienate its future partner Turkey in the NATO war alliance.
Despite the Kurdish movement’s constant struggle against the terror of the Turkish state, grassroots democratic processes are underway: for an ecological, feminist and anti-capitalist future with the participation of the broad population. The people in Rojava, who are building a gender liberated society with equal participation of women, urgently need our resolute, feminist solidarity!
The connection between war and the militarisation of social conditions, which culminates in an extreme increase in rapes and femicides, must be highlighted. One cannot be thought of without the other, and ultimately cannot be fought without this perspective. Colonialism, racism and nationalism are expressions of a patriarchal violent order of domination: this is what our international solidarity and the coming together of struggles stands against – even if our respective conditions are different. Let us take to the streets together against militarism and war and to fight for our goals: a gender-liberated society, for grassroots democracy, for ecology and climate justice. Against all borders. Against all empires. Against all wars!
Get organised! Bring your experiences, ideas and your longing for liberation. Share with us collectivity, education, discussion, networking and resistant feminist actions against arms production in the middle of the city!
Autonomous feminist organising in the alliance Rheinmetall Entwaffnen.
*The term women is not used biologically here. The political use of the term „women“ is necessary because of the direct and structural violence in patriarchy, which is built on a „gender binary“ and the corresponding conditioning. The described structures of violence in patriarchy are also directed against people who do not (want to) fit into a dual view of gender.