International Women's Day & the problem of solidarity

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It was wonderful to wake up this morning to a timeline of tweets about International Women's Day; I well remember the years when the day passed unremarked upon, except for the rare appearance in The Guardian or Independent. However, amongst the tweets discussing oppression and discrimination around the world and highlighting the work of amazing women, were one or two more abstract comments that troubled me.

"On International Women's Day, we need to help women work together not against each other."

"IWD is for all the women who support other women, not bring them down ."

I have several problems with such statements, not least the inference, common in discussions about feminism, that if only women would work together, if only we'd stop being such bitches to each other, then all our problems would be solved. While solidarity is important, there are far greater barriers to equality - namely the global oppression of, and violence against, women borne out of systemic patriarchy and misogyny - than women failing to be relentlessly positive about everything their 'sisters' do and say. There is something uncomfortably victim-blaming about the notion that if only women would be nicer to each other, gender-based inequality could be solved. It lays the blame for our oppression at our own feet and absolves men both individually and collectively.

I also think the notion of supporting women purely based on their gender is problematic. Am I meant to cheer the political advancement of Theresa May or Nicky Morgan, when their policies are so opposed to my own politics and so damaging to women generally? When May presides over a department that tacitly approves the sexual abuse of women refugees at Yarl's Wood Detention Centre? When Morgan votes for restricting abortion access while working as Equalities Minister? I have more cause for solidarity with Owen Jones, who this week was the victim of vile homophobic and sexual harassment by TERFs (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists) for writing in support of transgender rights in The Guardian. Does placing myself against women who would perpetuate such hatred and harassment and standing in solidarity with a man make me a bad woman, a bad feminist?  Feminism is a movement as well as an individual label. While I will always have solidarity with those who fight - in word and deed - alongside me within that movement, expecting me to support all women based purely on their gender is neither realistic nor fair. It would be akin to expecting Tony Benn to show solidarity with Nigel Farage (the whole being-dead thing not withstanding).

On International Women's Day, I believe the focus needs to be on the fantastic and radical work of groups such as Sisters Uncut; the discussion about girls right to education around the world to which Malala Yousafzai has contributed so much; the pioneering work done by young women in their communities to tackle FGM. These are the women-supporting-women that I am interested in. This is with whom I stand in solidarity.