Liverpool Sisterhood

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Funds for migrants without access to public funds, organized by Liverpool Migrant Solidarity Network Coronavirus is affecting everyone's lives - and people with i… Liverpool Migrant Solidarity Network needs your support for Funds for migrants without access to public funds

Statement regarding FRFI:

Our IWD23 protest was organised as a collaborative and inclusive event for feminists to come together, celebrate each other and demand better for everyone affected by misogyny. We have been very vocal in our opposition to groups like FRFI, RCG and the SWP given their mishandling of abuse allegations within their organisations, and despite our members facing personal backlash because of this, we will continue to stand against any organisation that doesn’t strive to keep its members safe.

We want to clear up a few things about FRFI’s attendance last Wednesday:

- Liverpool Sisterhood did not invite FRFI to attend. We would never encourage their attendance at our events and we would never encourage anyone to attend theirs.

- We cannot stop anyone from attending a protest, but we tried to engage with them to ask them to leave and were met with abuse.

- A 17-year-old girl from their organisation was demanding to speak, and when we told her no, we were accused of silencing young women’s voices.

- In order to de-escalate a situation that was becoming increasingly hostile and was looking to ruin the event for everyone, we agreed that she could speak as an individual as long as she didn’t mention FRFI or RCG.

- This was not held up at her end, and she introduced herself as speaking from FRFI. We stress this was not the agreement, and we very much regret that this happened. Our own members have faced personalised attacks from this group as a result of past opposition to them, and this started to happen during the speech.

- We stated after she finished that we cannot and will not support or endorse FRFI, and were again met with abuse. This carried on until they left due to pressure from our members.

We are also aware that our unwillingness to work with groups like FRFI/RCG/SWP has been called “factionalism” in the past, and just want to make it very clear that - while we absolutely do not have to agree with other groups on everything in order to work with them, this is an issue of abuse mishandling, not simply a political difference. Standing up against gendered abuse and violence is at the core of our organising and we will not make exceptions for groups who do not protect their members against these issues.

We take very seriously the safety of activists and we, as always, look forward to continuing and forging meaningful connections with groups who are committed to keeping activists safe.

If anyone has any questions regarding the above, or would like more info, please get in touch.

Thank you to all those who braved the weather to us at St George’s Hall for our protest. Special thanks to Liverpool SolFed, Food Not Bombs, Liverpool Anti Raids Merseyside Socialist Alternative Katumba, Northwest Kurdish Community Centre POMOC - Polish Migrants Organise for Change BHA and Liverpool Socialist Singers for coming down and handing out food & drinks, hosting stalls, playing great music and giving such poignant and powerful speeches.

We aimed to bring together different communities and experiences in the fight against the patriarchy and we are so grateful for everyone who made that possible.

We understand that people are disappointed about the attendance of FRFI/RCG, and we will be making a separate statement regarding their intimidation of activists and failure to acknowledge the abuse their organisation enabled. However, for people wanting more context of this, we have created a post about it last year, which can be found here: shorturl.at/bwEQX

Again, thank you to everyone who was involved in organising, to everyone who attended and to everyone who stood with us in the name of intersectionality and keeping women and girls safe

📣8 March is International Women’s Day – devoted to seeking gender equality.

📣The campaign theme this year is

🤨What is the problem that International Women’s Day seeks to solve? Why do we need an International Women’s Day??

>>>Speaking THIS MONTH, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres called the current global level of gender inequality and its effects

“the most widespread human rights abuse of our time."

>>>Chillingly, he went on to say, "Gender equality is a question of power.

The patriarchy, with millennia of power behind it, is reasserting itself.”

>>>”Gender equality is both a fundamental human right, and a solution to some of our greatest global challenges.”

>>>International Women’s Day remains crucial – both for giving women their fundamental human rights and for saving our planet! 💙🌎💚

>>>And with things sliding for millions of women around the world right now, inaction is an unavoidable ethical issue 👀

And so the continued fight for women’s rights is recognised each year by International Women’s Day ✊✊✊

***What can we all do to support this important fight?***

⚡️challenge gender stereotypes
⚡️call out discrimination
⚡️draw attention to bias
⚡️seek out and activate inclusion
⚡️add your voice
⚡️realise your own agency, however you identify

We appeal to everyone to realise their own agency. Particularly if you do not feel discriminated against, or you feel unaffected personally by inequality or oppression based on your being a woman.

The general affect of gender equality on the planet and our futures is immeasurably positive.

What’s not to fight for?

Katumba x

PS Don’t forget we are performing at the Liverpool Sisterhood celebration and protest at St George’s Hall Liverpool TONIGHT!!! 6PM

Come and feel the power with us!

📣0 DAYs TO GO📣

🔊KATUMBA LIVE PERFORMANCE ON THE STEPS OF ST GEORGE’S HALL TOMORROW 6PM⚡️✊⚡️

Join us!!! 🔥🔥🔥

🥁Here at Katumba our Band is 90% women.

🥁Of our core staff, 5 out of 6 of us are women.

Our instrument – the drum – is traditionally seen as a man’s instrument.

The strength and stamina required to wield the drums for our gigs and sessions is immense.

We create equality. We are the change we want to see in the world.

We are inclusive. We pay attention to intersectionality.

We are a work in progress.

What we do through various routes with movement and music at the core, is develop ourselves as a group to create, celebrate and demonstrate strength.

Our work as an organization locally, globally and internationally, is also epitomized by this principle and act: the strong development of well-being, of happiness, of healing, of protest and making space for ourselves and others.

Loudly.

🎉Do you also feel like celebrating?

💪Do you also feel like creating and demonstrating strength?

🗣Do you want to shout for equality and equity?

JOIN US as we play for women worldwide on the steps of St George’s Hall tomorrow 8 March at 6pm, as part of the Liverpool Sisterhood celebration and protest.

See you there, Liverpool! 🙌



Liverpool Sisterhood

📣1 DAY TO GO📣

📣4 DAYS TO GO📣

📣5 DAYS TO GO📣

Join us March 8th, 6:00pm at St George’s Hall for a celebration of sorority and a protest against the patriarchy.

With stalls, food and music from the amazing Katumba, mark International Women’s Day 2023 by standing with us in demanding a fair, inclusive and equitable society for all.

Women.
Life.
Freedom.