Today is International Women's Day, which sort of feels like a huge reminder of the incredible inequality that exists in our world. Even though we still don't have equal rights for all here in the Land of the Free, we do have what's sort of become an Instagram holiday. But that doesn't mean we're still not fighting everyday to amend the atrocious mistakes of bureaucratic bigots that uphold patriarchal antiquities. As a rallying cry, "Fight for Our Lives," the newest single by Petrol Girls, provides a high octane gut-punch against fatal inequality.
Featuring vocals from activist Janey Starling, "Fight for Our Lives" is a mantra, a mission statement, and an elegy. "We demand that the media stops perpetuating the narratives that kill us, and robbing dead women of dignity," goes one line. "We mourn every sibling stolen by male violence / Trans, sex workers, undocumented / Our murders are systemic."
All proceeds from the Bandcamp-only release will go to "Level Up, who are building an interactive, virtual database of femicide victims across the UK and Chile, with a view to scaling up globally in the future," the band shares on Bandcamp. "The database is trans inclusive, and will serve as a source of public knowledge and campaigning tool in the fight against gender-based systemic violence."
"I directly referenced Janey’s ‘Dignity for Dead Women’ Level Up campaign in the lyrics to this track," Ren Aldridge said in statement about the song. "Through this campaign, she introduced media guidelines for reporting on femicide and fatal domestic abuse in the UK—this is huge—because media narratives that place blame on the victims of femicide and abuse and treat these murders as isolated incidents are part of the problem. Level Up are relentless, and they get shit done."
She continued: "Femicide is the most vicious peak of the patriarchal violence and often intersects with other forms of oppression. This International Women’s Day let’s strengthen our fight against these systems. Let’s build collective power. Let’s remember our radical history and look to the incredible feminist movements growing across the world. In the words of the Kurdish revolutionaries—JIN JIYAN AZADI! WOMEN! LIFE! FREEDOM!”
Buy the track below.
