We live in times when upheavals of women are shaking the world. In Mexico and many other countries, the righteous rage of women has given rise to an insurgency, fueled above all by young women, which has inspired millions and sparked hope for real change. This has caused much struggle and debate, in families, among neighbors and friends, and throughout society. By leading more people to face the horrors that women experience in this world, it is creating more favorable conditions for revolution.

Since 2019, a wave of more radical struggle against femicides, rapes, harassment, and abuse has broken out. They were no longer the polite “business-as-usual protests.” The combative demonstrations, strikes and occupations of university departments and high schools, takeovers of government offices, and denunciations painted on government offices and monuments: All this represents a bold and determined spirit to fight to stop the femicides and all the brutality and misogynistic (hatred of women) disrespect inculcated and defended by the capitalist system under imperialist domination in which we live.

This wave of struggle gave rise to new liberating cultural works. From Chile came “Un violador en tu camino” (A rapist in your way), a performance that women around the world practice and present, chanting in many languages “the oppressive state is a macho rapist.” In Mexico and other Latin American countries, Vivir Quintana’s powerful song “Vivir sin miedo” (Live without fear) resonates in the marches, giving voice to the courage and collective rebelliousness of this new generation of women. As the first stanza says:

Let the state, the skies, the streets tremble
Let the judges and the judicial police tremble
Today women take away your peace of mind
They sow fear among us, we grew wings.

All this has alarmed the ruling classes and their political representatives. In Mexico, the rebellion of women pushed the Supreme Court to “decriminalize” abortion up to 12 weeks, which may be an important concession. However, this right will not be real until laws are passed that decriminalize abortion in all states or at the federal level, and those women who are imprisoned for having an abortion will not be freed until a judge decides on their freedom in compliance with the decision of the SCJN [Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation].

Mexican head of state [Andrés Manuel] López Obrador defamed the march of hundreds of thousands in Mexico City and protests across Mexico on International Women’s Day 2020, branding the dignifiedly angry protesters as “conservatives.” In 2021, a wall was erected in front of the National Palace [headquarters of the Mexican federal executive branch] that thousands of women covered with complaints and commemorations of murdered or disappeared women. In the March 8 battle, the police used the wall as a shield for their attacks and the women partially collapsed it.

In response to criticism of the movement for being “violent,” many responded that “that’s the only way they listen to us.” And indeed, the authorities did hear. But how did they respond? They responded with repression and little “reforms” that do not change anything essential. They responded this way because it corresponds to the needs of the capitalist system they represent. They promise nonexistent reforms. The government praises as achievements a few partial concessions that are actually ineffective measures, such as the Olympia Law or the Gender Violence Alert. At the same time, they threaten and repress activists. They cover up murderers and rapists in their armed forces and police. The president and some other authorities spit out a disgusting patriarchal discourse that contributes to reinforcing male supremacy and the brutal oppression of women.

The wave of misogynistic attacks continues and there is no fundamental change for women. 3,462 women were murdered just from January to November 2021 (more than 10 a day). Of these murders, 992 were classified as femicides, which have increased 4.3% in the three years of the current government. According to official data, almost 20,000 women were raped in 2021—an increase of 27.9%. The reality is always much worse than the official data, and impunity for these crimes is the general rule. All this despite the fact that the government boasts of being “leftist” and having “gender parity,” with more women in positions of power. This illustrates that regardless of who holds government positions in this system, nothing fundamental will change for women. Why? Because patriarchy is a fundamental part of this system, which cannot be maintained without oppressing women.

Are we going to be content with some cosmetic reforms on the patriarchal system, or should we fight to end patriarchy and all forms of oppression? If we want to end the oppression of women, we have to ask ourselves, what does it take to achieve that? The current state must be shattered, because it leaves in absolute impunity the overwhelming majority of misogynistic crimes and whose own armed forces and police grope, rape and kill women. It is necessary to end both “legal” and organized-crime capitalism which dehumanizes and enslaves women and makes huge profits from pornography, prostitution, human trafficking, demeaning commercials, as well as the super-exploitation of female labor. The patriarchal family which is so oppressive for women and children must be ended and transformed throughout society. It is necessary to open up every sphere of society to the full participation of women on an equal footing. It is necessary to fully unleash the fury of women and launch an enormous struggle in the family, at work, at school, in culture and the arts, throughout society to criticize and transform all kinds of oppressive relationships and ideas of machismo and male supremacy.

As we face what it takes to end patriarchy, it becomes abundantly clear that this is never going to happen under the capitalist system. However, machismo, the oppression of women, and patriarchy are not a product of “human nature” or the “biological nature of men” as some think. Patriarchy has not always existed. For tens of thousands of years, humanity lived in groups engaged in gathering and hunting without social relations of oppression of women by men. Patriarchy arose in interrelation with the division of society into classes, between exploiters and exploited. Patriarchy did not start with capitalism, but it is a fundamental pillar of this capitalist system, as it has been of every system of exploitation and oppression. To end patriarchy, it is necessary to end capitalism, and to end capitalism, it is necessary to end patriarchy.

Therefore, if you really want to end patriarchy and all forms of oppression, you need to make an actual revolution. A revolution that overthrows the current state, eliminates capitalist exploitation and creates a new socialist society that uproots the relationships that produce these terrible injustices, inequalities and unnecessary suffering. A revolution to break all chains; to unleash the struggle in Mexico and around the world so as to end patriarchy, eliminate all forms of exploitation and oppression of one human being by another, end the destruction of the environment, and finally achieve a world without class divisions or oppressive gender relations, a communist world.

The torrent of struggle of women has shaken the whole society. Enough with so much oppression, with so many injustices, with so many murders, rapes, outrages, and disrespect against so many women! If you want to end patriarchy and all forms of oppression, join the Revolution Movement, to work collectively for the liberating revolution that is needed. That means getting into why an actual revolution is needed, what this means and what the new society that is proposed will be like, debating the new communism that is the essential guide to open a new stage of revolutions in the world. And also to take this liberating revolution to the people so as to spread the movement for revolution while we unite with all the people willing to fight against the crimes, injustices, destruction, and attacks committed by this heartless system.

Text in PDF in Spanish: Fuerza Poderosa Para la Revolución.pdf

Break the Chains!
Unleash the Fury of Women As a Mighty Force for Revolution!

Revolutionary Communist Organization, Mexico
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