Newly started the year, the Section of Feminisms of the Granada CNT-AIT began campaigning for a feminist general 24-hour strike. Initially, we tried to join the Andalusian Coordination but soon we left the local
coordination of the unitary platform because their assemblies were gender mixed and our line is not mixed from the outset, so we decided to continue on our own and make things our way.

For two months we'd covered the city with propaganda calling the strike and explaining the many reasons that assist women to protest against the patriarchal and capitalist system. We also have a section on "From the
Roots", a project of free radio that is broadcast on many free radio stations around the whole State. The program’s name is "In my hometown square” and, coinciding with preparations for the 8M strike, we have issued our own program on feminist struggle." Also propaganda cribs have been issued in favour of the strike and the actions around it.

As the 8M was approaching, we started an increase in the actions and, in addition to the usual distribution of propaganda among the employees of businesses, industries and services, we showed, in several premises, the
film "Made in Dageham" about the struggle of the women at a Ford factory to get the same salaries as men; discussions followed. We also set up information stands in university faculties and cultural centres. We did
some informational picketing in industrial and shopping areas prior to the strike.

The day before the strike we toured the city and its neighbourhoods in our cars, equipped with loudspeakers, music and slogans and inviting all women to leave their tasks and domestic care, their purchases, their
jobs and their studies for a day in order to prove that if “we stopped, so would the world”. That same night we wrapped the windows of shops, bars and all kinds of businesses with thousands of stickers calling for
the strike and protesting against the exploitation of women and girls by the textile industry. We devoted some special attention to the MANGO store, for which we had designed some striking large stickers. MANGO
sued some comrades from Gijon who had been picketing their stores on the previous 8M; the picketers were sentenced to pay €12 000. We insisted on MANGO in the morning of the strike day, also making a picket at the
entrance of the store, handing out leaflets, again covering their window cases with stickers and explaining the situation to all passers-by.

Anyway, this was not the only morning picket since we spent a good time at the footwear store of "Patricia Villanueva" with which the Union has just started conflict. The owners do not comply with the labour laws,
they force their employees to sign fraudulent contracts which, in addition, the company systematically breaches, they deny any worker rights, humiliate and mistreat their employees and specifically they owe our comrade almost 8000 euros. We went to the store with our banners and bullhorn and began to inform the people passing, while we accused the company and repeatedly claimed for the payment of their debt with the worker. The owner first threatened he would call the police, then he kindly filmed us in a multimedia production and, finally, as his threats
had not any effect, he called the police. The police came, naturally, but once there, they did nothing but to calm down the employer informing him that it was our right to picket and we would leave never before we
wanted to and that they could not prevent it. In fact, we went on until we had exhausted the hundreds of leaflets and got almost hoarse after so much shouting.

We were surprised about the low participation in the strike, specifically on the side of the businesses in the city centre, and about the many people we saw shopping despite the fact that it had also been declared consumption strike day. The participation was greater in large companies and institutions, but official figures have not been published yet.

At noon we joined the protest at the Town Hall square and our slogans and the firmness with which we expressed them, made the people gathered there rise up. We were also interviewed by a local newspaper and our photograph and interview were on front page of its digital version for a few hours.

Finally, we went to the unitary demonstration in a block of our own, carrying a large banner, our motto "precarious and organized, against patriarchy and capital” on it. We had our flags and loudspeakers and were surrounded by a crowd of women who shouted our slogans. The event itself was a massive success; the municipal police estimated the attendance in 60,000 people, mostly women. The collection of homemade banners with original and revolutionary messages was stunning, and the music and the screams of protest, joy and also anger were thrilling.

To get the awakening of feminist and class awareness in increasingly more women is only a very small first step on the long road leading to full equality of rights. We will not relent in our struggle.

Granada CNT-AIT
Feminism Section