In these very days, marking 100 years of Women’s International Day, a new chapter is being written in history by millions of women and men in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere. We salute the workers who first raised the banner of revolt in Egypt in 2008, who persisted and who now see the fruit of their sacrifices. This is the springtime of the peoples in the Arab world, opening a gateway of hope for all. At last we may dare to believe that we can determine our destinies, securing the right to live and work in dignity.
It is inspiring to see Arab women marching at the head of the protests, breaking the boundaries of patriarchy, tribalism and fundamentalism that have been imposed on them for generations. These women are securing a place in a future democratic society where gender equality will be a supreme value, protecting the achievements of the revolution.
We, Arab and Jewish women of the Workers Advice Center and Sindyanna of Galilee, are proud at what we see happening around us. It encourages us to continue our struggle in Israel.
On the 8th of March we shall make a march of women—Arab and Jewish, migrant workers and refugees—for the right to work in dignity and to organize. We shall do so in solidarity with working women the world over. We ask women in our region and beyond to join their voices with ours in calling for an egalitarian society, free from oppression and occupation, in which both peoples, Israeli and Palestinian, may live together in peace.
