The International Feminist Network (IFN) was proposed at the International Tribunal of Crimes Against Women in Brussels in March 1976. Its purpose is to mobilize support and solidarity among women on an international scale when needed, as for example, by sending telegrams and letters in support of rape victims, political prisoners, women workers' struggles, court cases.
ISIS coordinates the IFN receiving information and passing it on very rapidly to specific national contact people, who are then responsible for disseminating information within their own countries. At present about 22 countries are involved and this will expand.
Dear Sisters,
Many of you have been asking for feedback from the IFN -to know whether all our efforts and publicity have any effect at all. We shall try to do this as far as we get information. Here we give you two positive outcomes of cases where our action as a network has undoubtedly been effective.
1. The rape case of Anne and Aracelli which took place at the Assizes Court in Aix-en-Provence on 2nd and 3rd May this year was a victory tor women. Of the three men charged, Serge Petrilli was convicted of rape and sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment. Mouglalis and Roger were sentenced to 4 years' detention for attempted rape. It seems that the trial itself was almost unbearable, with the defense insisting as a main argument that Anne and Aracelli had "consented". We are collecting a dossier on this, but those who want to follow-up the case should see, for immediate reference :
- Choisir no. 33, June 1978. From 102 rue St. Dominique, 75007 Paris, France.
- Le Nouvel Observateur, nos. 704 (8-14 May 1978) and 706 (22-28 May 1978) . The second article is a lengthy interview with Gisele Halimi, the lawyer for the prosecution, founder of Choisir. From : 11 rue d'Aboukir, 75002 Paris, France. The support for women both in France and around the world was extremely important in this case.
- The case of Noreen Winchester. You may know that Noreen was released. The letter below from the Noreen Winchester Comite in Holand speaks for itself in showing just how much our support is valued.
Over the past year we have received and sent out information through the IFN to mobilize support for women protesting the restrictions of abortion laws in New Zealand and Israel; for Norma Jean Serena, a Native American woman sterilized without her knowledge or consent; for Dessie Woods, a black North American woman, serving a 22 year sentence for killing the man who attempted to rape her at gunpoint; for the women workers of the Dong-II Textile Company in Inchon, South Korea who have been harassed and attacked because of their efforts to organize themselves and elect women to the leadership of their branch union; for rape victims and campaigns against rape in France and Italy; for Bolivian women organizing against sterilization abuse. The IFN is operating or is in the process of being set up in twenty two countries : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA. We invite women from other countries who would like to set up a national network or to work on one to write to us. Women in the countries listed above who would like to participate in the network can write to us and we will send you the names of the contact women in these countries. Finally, we invite all women everywhere to participate in the International Network by sending us information about campaigns and issues which need and would like international feminist support.
Jane Cottingham
Marilee Karl
for the IFN
To Isis in Rome and Geneva
Dear Sisters,
way, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA. We invite women from other countries who would like to set up a national network or to work on one to write to us. Women in the countries listed above who would like to participate in the network can write to us and we will send you the names of the contact women in these countries. Finally, we invite all women everywhere to participate in the International Network by sending us information about campaigns and issues which need and would like international feminist support. Jane Cottingham Marilee Karl for the IFN Thank you so much for helping us by publishing in Isis No. 5 the story of Noreen Winchester, who killed her father after years of incest. As a result of that the Comite was contacted by organizations and individuals all over the world and they promised to start actions and demonstrations if Noreen was not released.
As soon as the leave to appeal to a higher court was refused, Noreen's lawyer, Patricia Drinan, put in a petition for Noreen to get the Royal Prerogatory of Mercy and at the same time the N.W.C . sent to Mr. Roy Mason (secretary of State in Northern Ireland) the proof that action would take place in 5 European countries, the USA, Canada and Australia. As this was not favourable for the reputation of British justice, Mason had no choice but to release Noreen.
An important issue in this case is that the incidence of incest in Belfast came to light. It occurs in 20-40°/o of families. Now political parties are involved in taking measures against it. Social workers, who had previously expressed · the view that "incest was part of the culture and could not have mattered very much", are now obliged to take it into account. Judges, although they did not rehabilitate Noreen in spite of their opinion that "it was a justifiable homicide" (!) will be more careful in future and it is not likely that such an atrocious sentence will be pronounced again.
We would like you to publish this letter, because the Noreen case is an example of what international cooperation can do and of the great importance of the ISIS work.
A woman who interviewed me after Noreen's release, thought it important to make it known that the N.W.C. consisted of one person (the undersigned) who had never taken action before and doubted her own capability throughout the year she worked for Noreen. I myself think it much more important that the N.W.C. was supported so widely and that actions developed in a kind of autonomous way. Nevertheless, it might encourage other individuals to start rolling snowballs if they know that the initiative was taken only by one person who could not take a step without being afraid of the consequences.
In sisterhood,
(signed) Monique Moller