International Feminist Strike 202515 Images
Over the last few years, public opinion towards feminism has grown increasingly polarised. While conservatives have always considered it to be a threat to traditional “family values”, following the failures of girlboss feminism in the 2010s, more and more liberal women have started to see feminism as “uncool” or aspire towards a tradwife lifestyle that criticises the feminist movement of the 20th century for shunting women into the workplace and away from the domestic sphere. But at London’s International Feminist Strike 2025, held on International Women’s Day, there was a distinct sense of radical optimism in the air. On multiple occasions, feminists and organisers exclaimed from their megaphones, “another future is possible”, reminding attendees that we cannot quietly accept the atrocities of a capitalist, patriarchal world.
The International Feminist Strike asserts that it is part of the global anti-colonial, global majority feminist movement that is in solidarity with the trans community, migrants, survivors of sexual violence and revolutionary feminists resisting colonial violence in Palestine, Congo, Sudan and all around the world. For the organisers of the strike, drawn from over 20 activist collectives and feminist groups such as Queers for Palestine, Sisters Uncut and London Trans+ Pride, Women’s Day is not just a day to celebrate women but a day of continued and active resistance against violent patriarchal systems.
On the ground at the International Feminist Strike, we asked young activists about their engagements with feminism, the strike and how they hold onto hope in the face of growing apathy and state repression.
RAIMAA
What brought you to the protest today?
I’m here because I am a woman and quite simply I feel the limitations that come with that, whether culturally, socially or institutionally. I am also a Sudanese woman and am here to stand in solidarity with women in Sudan as part of London for Sudan and the grassroots movement, Madaniya.
What does feminism mean to you in your life and politics?
I really understood the importance of feminism and advocating for the global majority in med school, as we’re taught medicine based on the body of a white man and it is never questioned. Now that I work in women’s health, I am learning everything from scratch based on a woman’s body, and that has introduced me to the gaps in knowledge in feminist and migrant healthcare.
What would you tell someone who is feeling apathetic about feminism and the state of the world?
As I work in healthcare, especially with women dealing with menopause, I see how older women are ignored and cast aside. It makes me scared to grow older, but seeing this, I always stress how community is everything. We’re only stronger if we’re hand in hand with our tribe.
CHARLOTTE
What brought you to the protest today?
I heard about the strike through Sisters Uncut on their Instagram and decided to attend because I think it is so important that we have solidarity for women worldwide: from Palestine to Sudan and all across the globe. I am so aware of the privilege I have and the only reason I have that is because of Britain’s colonial and imperial history and so it’s important to be there for women who are suffering from the aftermath of that history.
What does feminism mean to you in your life and politics?
The patriarchy has historically tried to divide us, and so for me feminism is this act of women being there for each other and having solidarity with each other. We wouldn’t have anything if it wasn’t for feminists who showed up for women they did not know and fought for their rights.
What would you tell someone who is feeling apathetic about feminism and the state of the world?
I sometimes feel nervous about attending a march or protest, but when you get there, there’s just so much joy, and that really helps me feel hopeful. I would tell someone feeling apathetic to continuously show up to these protests, even if it’s for the first time or after a long break, and you’ll realise that you’re not alone.
ANNIE
What brought you to the protest today?
I have come not as an individual but as part of an organisation called the Revolutionary Communist Group. We hold women’s liberation central to our work as it is essential to the liberation of everyone.
What does feminism mean to you in your life and politics?
It means fighting against women’s oppression in all forms. It means fighting against things like racist immigration laws affecting migrant women. It means fighting against austerity and cuts to women’s services. It means fighting against police sexism. It means fighting against all these different ways that women find themselves as a victim of this double oppression as both women and as the working class.
Can you tell us a little more about the Revolutionary Communist Group?
We’re a group that has existed since the 1970s. We fight for socialism and against British imperialism, and that informs all of our work. While some of us are here supporting the feminist strike, others are protesting the BBC’s coverage of Palestine. We believe that capitalism needs women’s oppression to survive, so fighting for the liberation of the working class is also about fighting against structures that enforce women’s oppression.
LORENZO AND BEA
What brought you to the protest today?
Lorenzo: I’m from Bologna, Italy, and we have a strong tradition there of honouring the transfeminist movement through a march or celebration on March 8. I was looking for a similar event in London, which drew me to the march here.
What does feminism mean to you in your life and politics?
Bea: I try to include feminism in everything I do in my personal and professional life. As I run a festival, I hope everybody who attends feels welcome and safe, especially women and trans people.
Lorenzo: I see myself as an intersectional transfeminist because while I am a queer guy from Italy and there is so much privilege there, it is still a deeply patriarchal society that represses any kind of identity that challenges the norm. I always try to support the feminist movement and while I am not very involved in any of the organisations here, I try to incorporate political discourses that question misogyny in my research as a PhD student.
MANUELA
What brought you to the protest today?
Before last year, I used to be very conscious about going to protests as I was scared about the amount of people who come to protests. But since 2024 I have been going to trans pride and other protests that align with my politics. Today, I was brought here by my friend who told us about the feminist strike. I now make a point to go to all the demonstrations and protests I can so that’s why I’m here.
Can you tell us about the sign you’re holding?
I chose this sign because people and the government need to get their hands off our rights. The state of trans healthcare and women’s healthcare due to government intervention and negligence is terrifying. Even as someone with ADHD, my symptoms are disregarded as ‘hormonal’ and I do not get the care I deserve.
What would you tell someone who is feeling apathetic about feminism and the state of the world?
Wake up! Be with people whose lives and experiences are different from yours. Moving to London has completely transformed my view on life and feminism, and that is because I have met so many people who have welcomed me and shown me that life is a lot more than staying in your lane. Don’t let fear tame your knowledge.
ENAS
What brought you to the protest today?
I found out about the protest from London for Sudan, which is a wonderful collective that highlights our collective struggles as feminist, Sudanese women. I was invited by them to read my poetry about Sudanese resistance, revolution and the current issues that are impacting people in Sudan.
What does feminism mean to you in your life and politics?
The connection I have to being a feminist has a lot to do with my culture and heritage. The Sudanese revolution was led by women so I have a deep-rooted connection to feminism and activism. I think it’s in my blood. Even in my poetry, I write about prominent female figures such as Fathima Ahmed Ibrahim who became the first female member of parliament in Sudan, created the Sudanese women’s union and tried to fight for girls’ right to education and empowerment.
What would you tell someone who is feeling apathetic about feminism and the state of the world?
Being in a space where you’re surrounded by women and people from different backgrounds, countries and cultures, is very important, because it doesn’t make you feel like you’re on your own. It shows us how our struggles are interconnected as one. People assume feminism is just about women, but it’s also about liberating men, non-binary people, trans people, and that’s the power of it. The political climate right now is hectic, but I think this collective togetherness is crucial in these times.
RIANKA
What brought you to the protest today?
Of course I’m here, it’s International Women’s Day and I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I know a lot of the organisations that are here, like Young Struggle and Queers for Palestine, so I knew it was happening through them. I’m here to show solidarity.
What does feminism mean to you in your life and politics?
I’m a feminist and climate activist and the alignment with the two is in everything. The people who make our clothes are almost all women in the Global South and are paid terrible wages to do it. In these same countries, the financing is terrible because they’re controlled by the IMF and the World Bank which enforces the austerity that is pushed in the countries and forces women to do all the care work because social services, health services and school services are cut. Feminism is in everything and encompasses every social justice issue.
What would you tell someone who is feeling apathetic about feminism and the state of the world?
I think coming to these mass protests and gatherings and being constantly reminded in a physical sense that you are not alone in this struggle is very important. There’s a reason why the national marches for Palestine, which aren’t having a tangible impact on the government just yet as the genocide is ongoing, are still being attended by thousands of people. You need to feel that sense of community to help sustain you to keep going and showing solidarity for the people in Palestine and oppressed people everywhere. For people who are aspiring to become tradwives as a result of this apathy, political education is key.
