Editorial
Out the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women held in Brussels, Belgium in 1976, where thousands of women came together to speak and share their personal experiences of oppression, came the realization of the international scope of the atrocities committed against women, of the violence perpetrated against women because they are women, and of the conspiracy of silence about these crimes.
From this realization came the awareness of two needs: First, the need to break this silence and speak out about this daily reality of our lives as women, so that these crimes can no longer be considered as acceptable behavior and so that we can break out of our isolation and share our knowledge of oppression and how to combat it effectively.
Second, the need to join together our raised voices to protest and struggle against our own oppression and that of our sisters, and to give support and solidarity to women everywhere in combating injustices against women.
The International Feminist Network (IFN) was established after the Brussels Tribunal to help break this silence and to mobilize support and solidarity for women whenever and wherever they are victims of injustice or crimes because they are women or because they are working for the rights of women. At the time of the Mid-Decade Forum, held in Copenhagen in July 1980, the IFN had been helping to promote solidarity campaigns for nearly three years. During the IFN workshops at the Forum, many women expressed the feeling that more women needed to know about the IFN and, of equal importance, that the IFN does have an effect.
It is for this reason that we are devoting most of this issue of the ISIS Bulletin to the International Feminist Network. The Bulletin includes a history of the IFN, how it works and why, details of some of the cases already covered and the impact of the international solidarity campaigns. We are also including short reports from some of the national contacts who coordinate the IFN in their countries, explaining how they work, and some recent appeals for support. We hope these articles will stimulate
ideas and discussion on how to expand and improve the IFN in the future. We would like to hear your ideas on this.
ideas and discussion on how to expand and improve the IFN in the future. We would like to hear your ideas on this.
We also hope that the information in this Bulletin will demonstrate the need and impact of international solidarity. International support does make a difference. Together we are strong.