When I was much younger as a union activist in the NUT, forerunner of NEU, I used to get angry about glass ceilings and poorer promotion prospects for women teachers.  Whilst those issues still have their importance, the Leeds intersectional women’s movement in the 80s and 90s made me more aware of issues facing women internationally – such as poverty, abuse, and violence for example – issues of major importance today when the far right brings even greater threats for women, issues that go beyond campaigning for equality, oppressing and endangering the lives of women worldwide.

Violence against women

I was aware of this from a young age: my stepfather was abusive towards my mother at a time when the law allowed men to “chastise” their wives (including physically) for disobedience.  Later I discovered it was more widespread than I had realised: In the UK one woman dies every three days as a result and a quarter of all women experience domestic abuse.  Despite attempts to change the culture there’s been little change in the figures, and support for women survivors is at risk as a result of austerity and lack of funding.  Support for black women is worse as it is for disabled women: in some cases carers become abusers and many refuges are inaccessible. Not all refuges accept trans women.

 Asylum  seekers and migrants are at greater risk of exploitation and abuse including sexual violence from smugglers and traffickers including racist and sexual violence whilst migrating.

For women from indigenous communities the situation is horrific: UN statistics reveal one in three indigenous women are likely to be raped during their lifetime; according to Statistics Canada  indigenous women and girls are six times more likely to be murdered. Racism and colonialism also come into play.  According to the USA’s Board of Indian Affairs, in 2025 there were 4,200 missing and murdered unsolved cases affecting indigenous people.  In Brazil, female Land Defenders resisting exploitation of natural resources face danger including physical and sexual violence.

Health issues and inequalities

Despite attempts to put an end to the practice female genital mutilation (FGM) still occurs in thirty countriess; more than 230 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).  A report involving various bodies including the UN and WHO on February 5 states that 1.5 million girls this year are at risk of FGM.

Healthcare for black women continues to be inadequate both in this country and elsewhere.  Under the NHS there are inequalities in the standard and provision of perinatal care and in managing conditions such as diabetes which has a greater impact on black women; cuts in provision have a particularly strong impact.  In the USA there are disparities between healthcare for black women and others especially those living in poverty. In many countries healthcare provision for trans people is inadequate or in many cases non existent. This is also true for other marginalised groups.

Reproductive rights

We know that the right to abortion is at risk – a right fought for long and hard.  Abortion is healthcare and must be treated as such.

For many women however reproductive rights mean the right to have children is denied to many women.

Enforced sterilisation is legal in twelve European countries despite being contrary to the Istanbul Convention.  It is also legal to compulsorily sterilise women who are minors in Portugal, Czechia and Hungary.

Though other countries which had practiced compulsory sterilisation in order to control population growth, including of indigenous people, have now apparently stopped doing so, coerced sterilisation still takes place for indigenous populations in the US and Canada, Roma people in Eastern Europe, Uyghur women in China.  In South Africa, Namibia and Kenya HIV positive women are given medical misinformation to persuade them to accede to sterilisation.

Despite the fact that the Istanbul Convention specifically prohibits compulsory sterilisation of transgender and intersex people, it still happens.

This oppression already brings us closer to what the extreme right would wish to see.  We need to work together across oppressions if we are to stand any chance of reversing the damage already done.