May 8 has been declared by the UN as a day of remembrance for those who died during the Second World War, and May 9 is the day of the anti-fascist victory of the peoples of Europe, in 1945.

Today, on the 77th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, with the end of the Second World War, we, women, think that the blame for its provocation has not been attributed in many cases, as it should have been, that all its victims were not vindicated, that much of what happened has been silenced, and unseen aspects of it are slowly coming to light by scientific study and the testimonies of the people who experienced it.

We also think, that the ideas that fueled Nazism are alive, find political and social expression, and are sometimes exploited by the ones in power, or even become a regime.

We, women, also know that since then dozens of wars have been fought throughout the world, cold and hot ones, that many dictatorial and fascist regimes have been imposed, and that organized, powerful states are constantly committing a huge part of their budget to war spending, using in conflicts around the world, in addition to conventional weapons, chemical and biological weapons, even depleted uranium, with the threat of a nuclear catastrophe always lurking.

Today, a new war has begun on the territory of Europe, and the conflict front is tending to take on uncontrollable proportions.

Women’s movements have, throughout this period of time, been pioneers in anti-war, peace-loving activities, and against the derailment of military expenditure, because they absorb funds from social welfare, education, health, and the welfare of citizens.

Women’s movements were pioneering, since war affects women in its particular patriarchal way, leads them to refugeehood and death, and uses mass rape as a weapon of war, on a smaller or larger scale.

A typical example is the war in Ukraine, which already counts two and a half months, with millions of refugees and internally displaced citizens, primarily women and children, and with allegations of rape and human trafficking.

After years of intervention by the women’s movement, the UN classified rape in war as war crimes or crimes against humanity, or even genocide, and as such, they are now treated.

Therefore, today, we are fighting against the military invasion of Ukraine, we are demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops, and we are fighting for the care and reception of refugee women and their children, in cooperation with women’s and feminist organizations of Russia, Ukraine, and Europe, and with the sensitivity that the proximity of this war mobilizes within us, we reaffirm our opposition to all warfare that is currently taking place in various parts of the world.

For all these reasons, with the lining memory of Europe’s anti-fascist victory, we call for a peaceful mobilization on May 8, 2022, at 12 pm, on Dionysiou Areopagiou Street, by Herodion, to demonstrate against the war and demand the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

The signatory organizations/collectives:

• Network of women writers against gender-based violence and femicide “Her Voice”
• Diotima – Centre for Gender Rights and Equality
• European Anti-Violence Network
• KEDE Women’s Network
• MITERAS ERGON Association of Mothers with Many Children
• Mother’s Wings Greece
• Group on Women’s Rights for Social Intervention ‘Dytika’
• Women’s group of the association of social and cultural intervention “Thryalida”
• Piraeus Women’s Initiative
• Association of employees of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality “Dora Katsivardakou”
• Women’s Rights Association “TO MOV”
• Feminist collective “THEODORA”