Migrant women gain influence in the feminist movement
Anti-racist feminism in the coordination of 8M
The 8M Migration and Anti-Racism Commission arose in Madrid in 2018 with the aim of promoting an anti-racist feminism within the spaces of coordination that the feminist movement organises around 8 March. Through our “Poder Migrante” programme we started supporting them in 2019, becoming their first donors and, to date, the only funder.
This first contribution from Calala allowed them to go to the 8M state meeting, and others, to weave alliances with women comrades from different territories. In 2020 their idea was to organise a statewide meeting with the different 8M Commissions of migrants and racialised women, but this was thwarted by COVID-19. Finally, they used the funds to create a Resistance Fund to respond to the growing need of women, many of them without documentation, who expressed economic difficulties.
“Calala's contribution helped us to set up the Resistance Fund. And it helped us to start seeing each other once a year and to have a common understanding of the needs that were arising.”
The needs arising from the COVID-19 crisis have made the Commission more stable and brought its members closer together.
This growing stability and their active participation in the 8M Madrid Commission has earned them space and influence in the discourse, The slogans of the movement are set down in manifestos, slogans and other documents.
“This is our greatest achievement, that in the discourse and in the slogans we feel that the feminist anti-racist commitment is positioned”.”
As an example, they explain that, in previous years, in the area of communication and spokespersonship, they were a “colourful note to show diversity”.”. But they consider that:
“Since two years ago, the dynamics have changed a lot. We are now part of the generation of discourse. There is a commitment on the part of the 8M movement to be seen and heard. The discourse has taken hold and that space is now there for us to take it”.”
In order to make further progress towards an anti-racist 8M, they point out some challenges. On the one hand, it must be understood that migrant and racialised women are not a homogeneous group. The problems, visions and ways of experiencing the raciality of Latinas, Arabs, Asians or Roma are not the same. They also see the need to delve deeper into the political consequences of calling oneself anti-racist. For example, white feminists are not participating massively in the actions organised in front of the CIEs, or in support of the women seasonal workers in Huelva.
“8M is doing very well in terms of opening up and giving space, but there is still a lot of reflection to be done with Spanish women, who still have a lot to learn. Our space is precisely for that, to dialogue, discuss and build”.”
At the local level, they have been linked with the 8M Assembly of the district of La Latina denouncing the Aluche Detention Centre for Foreigners (CIE).
“It is noticeable when there are comrades from the Migration and Anti-Racism Commission in the neighbourhood assemblies, the agenda changes.
In the face of the pandemic, they became involved in neighbourhood solidarity networks. serving migrant and racialised women, among others.
“We saw in The importance of regularising the situation of people in an irregular administrative situation was stressed at first hand because we were receiving people who did not even have enough money for nappies. This led us to create the Resilience Fund”.”
Calala's support has helped them grow as a Commission. The funds provided give them peace of mind because they can plan more and better actions without thinking “we can't do anything, we don't have any money”.
“In 2020, Calala's resources helped us to set up the Resilience Fund and for the members, who met practically once a year, to begin to meet and organise ourselves more in response to the needs that were arising. Without this box, our work might have remained just another network campaign”.”
Calala is the only women's fund in Spain. We support the women's organisations that make up the feminist movement through donations, capacity building and networking. Every year they call on us to celebrate 8 March in the streets, but they work every day so that we all have the power to decide the life we want.
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