28 May: The GWS experience (part of WFH at 50)

Throughout 2022, the Wages for Housework Campaign is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of events, in person and online, and the launch of our community archives. (See below for links to watch the events which took place in March.)

Next event: The Global Women’s Strike Experience—Part 1

When: Saturday 28 May, 2-4pm, in person

Where: Bishopsgate Institute, London EC2M 4QH

Speakers:

CRISSIE AMISS, UK: Global Women Against Deportation (GWAD), Women Against Rape, Women of Colour Global Women’s Strike (GWS)

CHARLOTTE LEE, Singapore/UK: International Prostitutes Collective, GWS

LIZ HILTON, Australia/Thailand: Empower, Community Women Human Rights Defenders Collective, GWS

BENOIT MARTIN, Quebec/UK: Payday – a network of men campaigning with GWS

LU NJOKI, Kenya/UK: All African Women’s Group, GWAD, Women of Colour GWS

MAGGIE RONAYNE, Ireland: NUI Galway, trade unionist, GWS

Chairing: NIKI ADAMS, UK: English Collective of Prostitutes, GWS

Followed by Q&A

Some panelists have been with WFH/GWS for years while others are newer members. They bring their experiences of organizing as part of an international network with a shared perspective. How has this changed their lives?

The WFH/GWS Archives

Our community archives are being held at the Bishopsgate Institute. The first decade was launched in March; the next 10 years (1982-1991) will be available for viewing at our 28 May meeting.

Previous meetings

What do mothers and caregivers want? An international survey (8 March)—watch launch here; fill in the questionnaire here

Selma James and Margaret Prescod in conversation (24 March)—watch here; “WFH at 50: Isn’t it time for a care income?” press statement here

Empowering women with a care income for people and planet (25 March), UN Commission on the Status of Women—watch here.

Wages for Housework community archives: moving forward by looking back (27 March), London and Philadelphia

Background:

Selma James put forward wages for housework for the first time in March 1972. Since then, she has been a point of reference for a global network campaigning from the perspective of unwaged women who, with their biological and caring work, reproduce the whole human race—whatever else they do. This work goes on almost unnoticed everywhere, in every culture. It is not prioritized economically, politically, or socially, and women are discriminated against and impoverished for doing it.

To mark the new millennium, women in Ireland called for a national women’s strike on 8 March 2000 and asked the WFH Campaign to support it. We did by calling for the strike to be global and from then on we became known as the Global Women’s Strike. In 2020 (together with the Green New Deal for Europe) GWS launched the Care Income Now! campaign in recognition that there is one continuum between the care and protection of people and of the planet—the care income prioritizes both, for every gender.

The autonomous groups which formed within WFH—of women of color, queer women, sex workers, women with disabilities, single mothers—have worked to ensure that antisexism, antiracism and anti every discrimination are central to all WFH/GWS does. The network of men who share this perspective is integral to this campaigning.