DECLARATION
Made at  the WOMEN ASSEMBLY
of  the 4^th European Social Forum, Athens, 6 May 2006

While we are facing increasing political intervention by churches and religious fundamentalisms are on the rise in Europe, leading to a dramatic undermining of women's rights and, in spite of the warnings from feminist organizations, such as the World March of Women, towards the organizing committee of the European Social Forum, some of the workshops gave the floor to organizations or speakers who support values contrary to the Porto Alegre Charter and to women's rights. The Women's Assembly of the 4^th ESF which met in Athens protests vividly against this situation.

We are participating since the beginning in the construction process of all Social Forums and we are present at the ESF of Athens to build democratic, hence lay alternatives for a different Europe.

Considering the present challenges facing the Social Forums, the Women's Assembly wishes to stress once again that women should not serve as an alibi for any kind of manipulations. We reject political alliances that are concluded to the detriment of women and which establish priorities for our struggles, putting feminist demands behind anti-racist and anti-war demands. Such processes divide the anti-liberal forces and undermine the strength of the Social Forums. Because women's rights are universal, feminists are equally involved in the fight against racism and against war/

We call upon men and women who are in agreement with these positions to join forces with us to construct a Europe without discriminations, a Europe of peace, a feminist, lay and hence egalitarian Europe.