Women Organized to Resist and Defend
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| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Type | Grassroots |
| Focus | Women's rights, feminism, racism/anti-racism, labor rights, homophobia and LGBT rights, reproductive rights[1] |
| Location |
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Key people | Peta Lindsay, Gloria La Riva, |
| Website | WORD/W.O.R.D. |
Women Organized to Resist and Defend (WORD or W.O.R.D.) is a feminist organization that was founded in 2012, and a subsidiary of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.[2]
Founding[edit]
The foundation for all future activism by WORD is based on the four main demands they established in their inception: Full reproductive rights, defending women in the workplace, stopping the budget cuts, and full respect and equality now (an end to anti-LGBT bigotry).[3]
Mission[edit]
WORD strives to rebuild an in the streets grassroots movement mirroring that of the 1960s civil rights and women's rights movements. WORD attempts to bring women, men, and non-binary people together as a community to fight for its four demands via direct action.
Education and advocacy[edit]
WORD has seven chapters, including in the states of California, New York, and Illinois. It has aligned itself with the trade union UNITE HERE and older political organizations geared strictly towards women's liberation such as New York Women's Liberation.
WORD's activism includes national campaigns on legislation may affect women's reproductive rights, social welfare and education and general civil rights. WORD also relies heavily on direct action to bring attention the issues it rallies behind and uses guerrilla tactics like banner dropping to spread information. As a subsidiary of PSL it shares resources, tactics, and membership with the party as well as its subsidiary the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.[4]
National campaigns on key health issues like access to contraceptives and abortion support WORD's four demands. WORD as an organization demands full reproductive rights, an end to sex based discrimination in the workplace (i.e. equal pay, an end to sexual harassment, maternity leave), an end to social welfare cuts, and full respect and equality.
WORD's advocacy work through direct actions like flash mobs,[5] forums, conferences, social media websites such as Facebook and Tumblr, and community outreach.
Funding[edit]
Membership contributions (financial and physical) and donations are WORD's primary source of funding. It does not disclose funding reports.
Notable protests[edit]
The group protested against the Zimmerman verdict,[6] and showed support to free Chelsea Manning.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ About WORD
- ^ Contact us. Women Organized to Resist and Defend. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
- ^ "About WORD". Defendwomensrights.org. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
- ^ "Get involved in the struggle to defend women's rights!". Answercoalition.org. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
- ^ Battling for Plan B May 19, 2013 Leave a Comment (2013-05-19). "Battling for Plan B | The Fine Print | Gainesville, FL". Thefineprintuf.org. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Group protests Zimmerman verdict - News 10 Now
- ^ Huge contingent in SF LGBT Pride demands 'Free Bradley Manning!'