Is this as good as it gets? Socialist feminist conference, 26 November
Socialist feminist | 30.09.2011 14:32 | Gender | Public sector cuts | Workers' Movements
A conference to debate the issues facing women in the era of capitalist crisis and cuts, learn from past battles and revive a class struggle feminist movement.
Organised by women members and supporters of the Alliance for Workers' Liberty. People of all genders welcome.
We will also be organising a series of meetings in the run up to the conference, in towns, universities/colleges and union branches around the country. Keep your eye out for more details soon!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=255824054451603
***
Women’s lot under capitalism is, for most, that of low-paid wage slavery, with the double burden of the bulk of the responsibility for childrearing, housework and caring being placed firmly on our shoulders; then there’s the enormous pressures of how we should look, behave and act. The chances of achieving any real freedoms or reaching our individual and collective potential is impossible under capitalism.
The lot of working class women is made even worse at times like these when capitalism is in crisis. It’s working class women who are hit hardest when jobs are cut and services slashed.
The case for class struggle feminism is the case for a distinct feminism based on smashing the oppression of the majority of women - working class women. The liberation of working class women is the liberation of humanity. This conference is a space to discuss these ideas and organise action for freedom.
Class struggle feminists care little about glass ceilings that stop middle class women from becoming bosses and exploiting working class women and men. It's the class ceiling we’re out to smash!
DRAFT AGENDA
(More details and speakers tbc soon)
11.30-12.30 Registration
12.30-13.30 Opening Plenary: Cuts against women, women against cuts
* Claire Locke, President London Metropolitan University SU president
* Rosie Huzzard, Workers’ Liberty and PCS activist and Sheffield Women's Services worker
* School student activist from struggles last year
* Southall Black Sisters (invited)
13.30-13.45 Refreshments and stalls (continued throughout the day)
13.45-15.00 Sessions
a) When working-class women fought back: Ford Dagenham, Grunwick, Women Against Pit Closures
* Jean Lane, Workers’ Liberty and Unison activist
b) The fight for reproductive freedoms – in defence of abortion rights and sex education
* Education for Choice
c) The unorganised get organised: the 1888 matchwomen’s strike, New Unionism and the lessons for today
* Louise Raw, author of Striking a Light: the Bryant and May Matchwomen and Their Place in History
* Becky Crocker, Workers’ Liberty and RMT activist
d) Introduction to Marxist feminism
* Cathy Nugent and Sarah Weston, Workers’ Liberty
15.00-16.30 Sessions
a) Debate: Student women's movements, past, present and future?
* Jade Baker, NUS Women’s Committee, NCAFC National Committee and Workers’ Liberty
* Past NUS Women's Officers
b) The lives of classfighter feminists – Eleanor Marx and Sylvia Pankhurst
* Jill Mountford, Workers’ Liberty national committee
* Alice Poppy Marshall, Women of Hull Against Cuts
c) Migrant women’s struggles – are everyone’s struggles
Speaker from Latin American Workers' Association
d) Women in the North African and Middle Eastern revolutions
* Lucinda Lavelle, British Libyan Solidarity Campaign
* Houzan Mahmoud, UK representative of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq
16.30-17.30 Closing plenary: Is there a future for class struggle feminism?
* Speakers: Elaine Jones, Merseyside Women Against the Cuts
* Speaker from Feminist Fightback
Followed by a contingent on the Reclaim the Night March and a social to raise money for the Women's Fightback newspaper, with interpretive drama and feminist folk music.
***
Tickets: £10 waged, £5 low-waged/students and £2 unwaged/school students.
To Pay:
* Send a cheque payable to Alliance for Workers' Liberty to 20E Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London SE1 3DG
* Doing an internet bank transfer to "AWL", account 20047674 at Unity Trust Bank, Birmingham, 08-60-01
* Pay an organiser in cash when you see them (get in touch to be put in touch)
* Pay by debit or credit card online via Paypal at the link below
http://www.workersliberty.org/isthisasgoodasitgets
Free creche and accommodation (please get in touch if you need accommodation).
Cheap food and refreshments, plus stalls available throughout the day.
More details soon!
women@workersliberty.org
www.workersliberty.org/women
www.workersliberty.org/isthisasgoodasitgets
07883520852
We will also be organising a series of meetings in the run up to the conference, in towns, universities/colleges and union branches around the country. Keep your eye out for more details soon!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=255824054451603 ***
Women’s lot under capitalism is, for most, that of low-paid wage slavery, with the double burden of the bulk of the responsibility for childrearing, housework and caring being placed firmly on our shoulders; then there’s the enormous pressures of how we should look, behave and act. The chances of achieving any real freedoms or reaching our individual and collective potential is impossible under capitalism.
The lot of working class women is made even worse at times like these when capitalism is in crisis. It’s working class women who are hit hardest when jobs are cut and services slashed.
The case for class struggle feminism is the case for a distinct feminism based on smashing the oppression of the majority of women - working class women. The liberation of working class women is the liberation of humanity. This conference is a space to discuss these ideas and organise action for freedom.
Class struggle feminists care little about glass ceilings that stop middle class women from becoming bosses and exploiting working class women and men. It's the class ceiling we’re out to smash!
DRAFT AGENDA
(More details and speakers tbc soon)
11.30-12.30 Registration
12.30-13.30 Opening Plenary: Cuts against women, women against cuts
* Claire Locke, President London Metropolitan University SU president
* Rosie Huzzard, Workers’ Liberty and PCS activist and Sheffield Women's Services worker
* School student activist from struggles last year
* Southall Black Sisters (invited)
13.30-13.45 Refreshments and stalls (continued throughout the day)
13.45-15.00 Sessions
a) When working-class women fought back: Ford Dagenham, Grunwick, Women Against Pit Closures
* Jean Lane, Workers’ Liberty and Unison activist
b) The fight for reproductive freedoms – in defence of abortion rights and sex education
* Education for Choice
c) The unorganised get organised: the 1888 matchwomen’s strike, New Unionism and the lessons for today
* Louise Raw, author of Striking a Light: the Bryant and May Matchwomen and Their Place in History
* Becky Crocker, Workers’ Liberty and RMT activist
d) Introduction to Marxist feminism
* Cathy Nugent and Sarah Weston, Workers’ Liberty
15.00-16.30 Sessions
a) Debate: Student women's movements, past, present and future?
* Jade Baker, NUS Women’s Committee, NCAFC National Committee and Workers’ Liberty
* Past NUS Women's Officers
b) The lives of classfighter feminists – Eleanor Marx and Sylvia Pankhurst
* Jill Mountford, Workers’ Liberty national committee
* Alice Poppy Marshall, Women of Hull Against Cuts
c) Migrant women’s struggles – are everyone’s struggles
Speaker from Latin American Workers' Association
d) Women in the North African and Middle Eastern revolutions
* Lucinda Lavelle, British Libyan Solidarity Campaign
* Houzan Mahmoud, UK representative of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq
16.30-17.30 Closing plenary: Is there a future for class struggle feminism?
* Speakers: Elaine Jones, Merseyside Women Against the Cuts
* Speaker from Feminist Fightback
Followed by a contingent on the Reclaim the Night March and a social to raise money for the Women's Fightback newspaper, with interpretive drama and feminist folk music.
***
Tickets: £10 waged, £5 low-waged/students and £2 unwaged/school students.
To Pay:
* Send a cheque payable to Alliance for Workers' Liberty to 20E Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London SE1 3DG
* Doing an internet bank transfer to "AWL", account 20047674 at Unity Trust Bank, Birmingham, 08-60-01
* Pay an organiser in cash when you see them (get in touch to be put in touch)
* Pay by debit or credit card online via Paypal at the link below
http://www.workersliberty.org/isthisasgoodasitgets Free creche and accommodation (please get in touch if you need accommodation).
Cheap food and refreshments, plus stalls available throughout the day.
More details soon!
women@workersliberty.org www.workersliberty.org/women
www.workersliberty.org/isthisasgoodasitgets
07883520852
Socialist feminist
e-mail:
socialist.feminist@yahoo.com
Homepage:
www.workersliberty.org/isthisasgoodasitgets