On Saturday 21 October, the Feminist Fightback conference at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London attracted over 230 people. On Tuesday 31 October, activists involved with Fightback will be protesting outside the Conservatives' "Shoes, shopping and politics" event to make clear that rich women discussing shoes and how to become Tory MPs is not our idea of women's liberation!
Come and join us!
Come and join us!
Meet 5.45pm at Covent Garden Tube station. We will be protesting outside the LK Bennett store where the event takes place: 43 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JY from 6.30pm. See below for the statement we will be distributing.
For more information email us or ring 07815 490 837...
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More Tory MPs is not women's liberation!
L K Bennett, the high fashion shoe shop where this event is being held, made £7m profit in 2004. It'd take an woman working 40 hours a week on the minimum wage (which the Tories opposed when it was initially proposed at a paltry £3.60 an hour) nearly 700 years to earn this much money. Even better paid women workers will never be as comfortably off as many of the leading lights of the Tory women's "campaign" for more female MPs, such as Theresa May (a former banking industry consultant) and Lady Fiona Hodgson (who runs her own interior design company). May has also signed the recent Early Day Motion on abortion sponsored by the anti-choice lobby, just another sign of Conservative contempt for women's rights.
The title "Shoes, shopping and politics" is a patronising fake girly appeal to women based on the idea we're airheads incapable of understanding real politics, and more interested in consumer choices than political programmes. They might as well have called it "Girls' Night Out!" – it'd be funny if it wasn't disguising the fact the Tories have a hideous track record of attacks on working-class people,
from undermining the welfare state and crippling comprehensive education, to shackling trade unions with repressive laws and stigmatising single mothers.
The kind of feminism which calls for more women Tory MPs cannot deliver women's liberation. This is the party which has recently been paying lip service to equal rights in a cynical attempt to win votes, but has long stood for the oppression of women, LGBT people and alternative sexualities under the guise of so-called "family values". Just witness the Ten Minute Rule Bill tabled by Tory Nadine Dorries, calling for both a reduction in the time limit for abortion and the
introduction of a mandatory delay in service provision, due to be discussed in Parliament today. A stronger right-wing in government is bad for the majority of women, whatever its percentage of female MPs.
We need equality, we need more women representatives, but we don't need Parliament filled with rich Tory business women demanding an equal right to exploit their "sisters".
For more information email us or ring 07815 490 837...
--
More Tory MPs is not women's liberation!
L K Bennett, the high fashion shoe shop where this event is being held, made £7m profit in 2004. It'd take an woman working 40 hours a week on the minimum wage (which the Tories opposed when it was initially proposed at a paltry £3.60 an hour) nearly 700 years to earn this much money. Even better paid women workers will never be as comfortably off as many of the leading lights of the Tory women's "campaign" for more female MPs, such as Theresa May (a former banking industry consultant) and Lady Fiona Hodgson (who runs her own interior design company). May has also signed the recent Early Day Motion on abortion sponsored by the anti-choice lobby, just another sign of Conservative contempt for women's rights.
The title "Shoes, shopping and politics" is a patronising fake girly appeal to women based on the idea we're airheads incapable of understanding real politics, and more interested in consumer choices than political programmes. They might as well have called it "Girls' Night Out!" – it'd be funny if it wasn't disguising the fact the Tories have a hideous track record of attacks on working-class people,
from undermining the welfare state and crippling comprehensive education, to shackling trade unions with repressive laws and stigmatising single mothers.
The kind of feminism which calls for more women Tory MPs cannot deliver women's liberation. This is the party which has recently been paying lip service to equal rights in a cynical attempt to win votes, but has long stood for the oppression of women, LGBT people and alternative sexualities under the guise of so-called "family values". Just witness the Ten Minute Rule Bill tabled by Tory Nadine Dorries, calling for both a reduction in the time limit for abortion and the
introduction of a mandatory delay in service provision, due to be discussed in Parliament today. A stronger right-wing in government is bad for the majority of women, whatever its percentage of female MPs.
We need equality, we need more women representatives, but we don't need Parliament filled with rich Tory business women demanding an equal right to exploit their "sisters".
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For heaven's sake give it a rest!
01.11.2006 06:16
Gabi
what inconsistencies?
01.11.2006 12:29
> I mean you mention that these are elected representatives and some of them head their own businesses!? Well just a thought but that in itself might be taken as proof of female emancipation if you ask me and I'm sure many others would agree.
Yes, I'm sure many rich women who want a career in politics would agree. Do you really think more women heading businesses and some of these rich women getting into Parliament will help the big majority of women who have to work for a living - disproportionately in low paid crap jobs, but not just the lowest paid. If a female Tube worker on £28,000 a year gets elected as a socialist MP, it will be a step forward for the lowest paid cleaners etc as she'll use her position to fight for a decent minimum wage, free childcare, a rebuilt welfare state, free trade unions. Ditto of course if the cleaner gets elected herself. If we have more Theresa May's in Parliament it will only be a victory for the richest women, and she'll use her position to attack all women workers whatever their pay.
> Enjoy your bra burning demonstration sisters
Thanks for indulging crass sexist cliches.
> bet hardly anyone is there most of us women are too busy doing sensible down to earth things and yes i do get paid the same as my male colleagues thanks!
Well, good for you. You're ok so fuck everyone else. Are you in any way actually leftwing? Why do you read Indymedia?
> Now where are my shoes and my copy of Heat its coffee break!
What has this got to do with anything?
Vol
I can read what i want!
02.11.2006 07:19
1. Women own and operative their own businesses.
2. Women vote and are active in politics even if pepole like you protest at them saying that they are 'tories' for doing so, Is Anita Roddick a tory?
3. By working and participating on the economy as a working woman I do much more to actually raise women's issues than protesting against those that do, you a student? Great you took advantage of women's educational rights now think about getting a job when you finish your degree and lay off petulant ill though out attacks!
4. In the public sector NHS, police etc women actually benefit from positive discrimination, I do not consider this helpful but you might.
5. Why not highlight domestic violence? Instead of targeting successful hard working women your protest ultimately reeks of immature self-abasement.
6. So what if this makes me not suitably 'left wing' enough for your stance I have a choice of opinion don't I? Thought you were automatically pro-choice anyway? Or are the only choices in fact you allow women are to be left wing, petulant, men hating, work shy child killers?
Gabi
Indymedia represents Independent and Alternative media Activists
07.11.2006 00:07
Your comments have left me feeling the need to clarify a few of the issues that you have clearly failed to understand. For the moment, I will ignore the abusive remarks against feminists (“child killers” “Fruit loops“, “bra burning” “men hating” etc) that you have made and instead concentrate on your political misunderstandings. I think it is particularly important to do so on this site as it has been set up a refuge from the kind of political opinions that you are putting forward.
Firstly, “women like us” are well-aware of the fact that women can vote, it is a right that our predecessors fought for. The protest outside the Conservative party meeting was not against universal sufrage for women but against the consumerist ideology put forward by the party in general and the meeting on “Shoes” in particular.
I was pleased to read that you believe that you “do more to actually raise women’s issues”, can I ask what it is that you do to fight for women‘s rights?
I attended the Feminist Fightback conference and I can assure you that far from just this protest, the conference organised a whole host of activity all across the country. I am currently partaking in a campaign against domestic violence you will be pleased to know. The conference also organised a lot of activism to promote women’s right to choose which is why the closing remark of your comment is so worrying. The "ProLife" lobby is launching a brutal, merciless attack against women’s right to choose whether or not to have children.
At a time when most women need support they are being labelled “baby killers”. Some extremists in the USA are fighting for abortion to be punishable with death sentance.
It is this very attitude, that of the far right wing, fundamentalists that the activists pertaining to this website are fighting against. If reading about women who demonstrate against conservatives upsets you so much that you feel compelled to use such offensive language against them, I suggest you stick to Heat magazine and save your comments for people who are ill-informed enough to agree with them.
sofia
e-mail:
sofiasmmason@hotmail.com
Well thank you for that!
07.11.2006 08:33
Gabi
The point being
07.11.2006 09:47
Strap-on
lunatic fringe?
07.11.2006 13:49
Strap on (interesting name) your comments confuse me. Since when does being against the tories and their pro-big business capitalist policies make you part of a "lunatic fringe"?
I don't understand what political angle you're coming from. I will reiterate a point I have already made, this is a site for ACTIVISTS!!! If you support the tories and what they stand for, why not post messages on their message boards?
soifa