A-Infos (en) Italy, FdCA, IL CANTIERE #39 - Gender Violence and Patriarchy: There is no revolution without feminism, there is no feminism without revolution - Stefania Baschieri (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence 
against Women. ----     Despite decades of battles, street protests, 
international treaties, and awareness campaigns, violence against women, 
unfortunately, remains a structural phenomenon: even today, one in three 
women worldwide experiences violence (WHO data), and this figure may 
even be underestimated because male violence against women is a 
multifaceted and often hidden phenomenon.
Indeed, gender violence takes many forms-physical, economic, 
psychological, sexual-that are often subtle and difficult to identify. 
What is certain, however, is that the same mechanism is always at the 
root of these manifestations: a system of male domination that aims to 
maintain control and power, denying women rights, autonomy, and dignity.
Gender-based violence is a complex and deeply rooted phenomenon in our 
culture and society that affects women of all ages, ethnicities, 
education levels, and social classes. There is no "typical victim," 
although there are obviously factors that can make some women more at 
risk, such as poverty, age, disability, or a migrant background. At the 
root of this violence are undoubtedly gender roles and the accompanying 
stereotypes that have created a hierarchy between men and women that 
places men in positions of power and control, relegating women to 
subordinate roles.
This system has a name: patriarchy.
Patriarchy is not a legacy of the past, but a mechanism still deeply 
rooted in our society. It continues to manifest itself in many ways, 
ranging from gender-based violence to wage inequality, including 
persistent cultural and social stereotypes such as the view of women as 
"naturally" submissive and predisposed to all the activities necessary 
for the maintenance of life: domestic work, care, education, workforce 
regeneration, etc.
Patriarchy and Capital:
A Structural Relationship
Patriarchy and capitalism are structurally intertwined, with capital 
having integrated and reshaped pre-existing patriarchal logics to adapt 
them to its needs in a relationship of mutual dependence that is 
expressed both in the economic sphere and in social dynamics.
The gendered division of labor and the subordination of women are not 
elements parallel to capital, but rather constitutive of its 
functioning. In particular, the reproductive and care work traditionally 
performed by women has been "invisibleized," presenting it as "natural" 
or tied to affection. This, too, becomes a more subtle form of violence 
that seeks to deny that these activities are, in fact, an indispensable 
part of the capitalist production cycle.
Making social reproduction visible and recognizing its value means 
disarming one of the foundations of patriarchy and capital, and it means 
bringing to light a significant aspect of violence against women.
It is necessary to forcefully reiterate the link between capitalism and 
patriarchy, and that the latter will not be defeated as long as the 
capitalist model exists. This also prevents attitudes and considerations 
like those made by Minister Valditara, who declared that "patriarchy no 
longer exists, sexual violence is increasing because of immigration," 
continuing the biased and racist discourse that accompanies this 
government's actions.
According to Valditara, patriarchy disappeared years ago, particularly 
with the 1975 family law reform, and therefore we should stop pretending 
not to see how "sexual violence is linked to phenomena of 
marginalization resulting from illegal immigration." Unfortunately, just 
a few months after the passage of this law, one of the most brutal 
femicides, known as the Circeo massacre, was committed, and it was 
committed by very Italian children of Rome's "upper middle class."
Statements of this kind perfectly reflect the propaganda of a racist 
government that, rather than addressing gender violence at its root 
through welfare programs that encourage women's autonomy, nurseries, 
equitable maternity leave for both parents, concrete solutions for 
resolving domestic violence, educational programs in schools and 
elsewhere, and the implementation of local health centers, is instead 
committed to promoting security-based solutions and birth control 
policies, effectively denying the right to abortion to an 
ever-increasing number of women, and closing borders. Even in the media, 
sexual violence is primarily portrayed as physical, explicit, and 
visible, often perpetrated by strangers in fortuitous circumstances. But 
this narrative seeks to portray gender violence as an occasional 
occurrence, perhaps avoidable with "appropriate" behavior, almost 
blaming the victim. On the contrary, the majority of violence is 
committed by partners and ex-partners, friends, relatives, and 
acquaintances, therefore in contexts where the victim felt safe: 
precisely what Minister Valditara's comment was intended to mystify.
Even the Prime Minister herself seeks to create connections between 
immigration and gender violence, legitimizing outright racist 
propaganda. Such statements are not new, and are not unique to this 
government, but are the fruit and demonstration of the predominant role 
that Italy's colonial history still plays in our society today. 
Comparing immigrants to rapists is just one of the many mechanisms used 
to dehumanize people of color, with the intent of identifying "the 
other" as a dangerous enemy and thus justifying discrimination and 
exploitation.
Feminism and Class Struggle
On this November 25th, it is crucial to once again emphasize how gender 
violence is the result of a deeply rooted patriarchal model and, at the 
same time, a class issue.
Intersectional feminism teaches us that we are not all the same, 
precisely because gender violence is located at the intersection of 
class violence, and in turn, for women of color, for example, racist 
violence is added to this intersection.
An intersectional approach is therefore essential to better understand 
power dynamics and thus seek common responses: oppressions of gender, 
race, and class are intertwined in systems of capitalist exploitation, 
and the struggles that arise from these oppressions cannot be considered 
parallel, but convergent.
The conditions of labor exploitation, wage inequality, and the 
subordination of many women, especially poor and racialized women, make 
it more difficult to escape situations of violence, both domestic and 
otherwise. This is why there can be no feminist struggle that is not 
also, necessarily, a class and anti-racist struggle. Today, more than 
ever, it is timely to say that there is no revolution without feminism, 
there is no feminism without revolution.
In conclusion, that women are victims of a patriarchal system is not a 
fantasy or an opinion to be believed or not: it is the fundamental fact 
from which feminism must begin its analysis and, above all, to develop a 
plan of struggle. And considering that this violence is continually 
reproduced by the system, it is not simply a matter of reforming it and 
perhaps obtaining some more favorable laws, but of overthrowing and 
changing it to nip at the root the reproduction of the patriarchal and 
chauvinistic culture whose most brutal product is femicide.

https://alternativalibertaria.fdca.it/
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