Newly revealed documents reveal that MI5 taught Brazilian secret police the techniques deployed by the 1964-85 military dictatorship in horrific prisons like Rio de Janeiro’s House of Death. SARA VIVACQUA reports
HARROWING personal testimony from survivors of prostitution and surrogacy underpinned a significant conference held in London earlier this month.
Its overwhelming message was unassailable — that capitalism has won a grim monopoly on women’s bodies, and shows no evidence of destroying itself. Quite the opposite, these pernicious industries are destroying lives and preying on the vulnerable, while rewarding the moneygrubbing and selfish.
For the British grassroots women’s group Nordic Model Now!, this was the latest in a series of highly successful events, aimed at the abolition of prostitution and related practices such as lapdancing, pornography and surrogacy.
Half a century after transformative laws reshaped Britain, women’s rights are again contested. This International Women’s Day is a call to remember how change was won, and to organise to defend it, says KATE RAMSDEN
AMANDA J QUICK warns about the ever-expanding influence of the sex industry – and the harm it unleashes on both the women involved and society collectively, especially the young
LYNNE WALSH reports from the Women’s Declaration International conference on feminist struggles from Britain to the Far East
ROS SITWELL reports from the Morning Star conference on ‘Race, Sex and Class Liberation’ last weekend



